The University of Notre Dame suspended its men’s swimming program for one year after an external investigation uncovered an internal sportsbook on campus.
Notre Dame Athletics Director Pete Bevacqua made the announcement Thursday, Aug. 15.
Bevacqua said the independent, external review “documented numerous violations of NCAA rules prohibiting gambling on intercollegiate swimming and other athletic competitions.”
Athletes who place bets or share insider information involving their own team permanently lose their eligibility. The penalties follow the athlete even if they transfer to another school.
In addition to NCAA sanctions, it’s a federal crime to participate in the business of illegal gambling.
Regulated sportsbooks protect user accounts. The taxes boost state budgets and help fund responsible gaming programs.
Notre Dame’s swimmers — and all student-athletes — receive “clear and recurrent training” from the athletics compliance staff about sports betting, according to the AD.
“These findings are contrary to the University’s values and all that we stand for in Notre Dame athletics,” Bevacqua said. “In order to ensure that this behavior ends and to rebuild a culture of dignity, respect, and exemplary conduct, we have decided to suspend the men’s swimming program for at least one academic year.”
Major sports betting operators like DraftKings and FanDuel typically do not offer odds on college swimming outcomes. Reporting from the AP’s Ralph D. Russo suggests the swimmers kept a makeshift sportsbook. Bets changed hands based on their finishing times at college meets.
The Notre Dame women’s swimming program and the men’s diving team were not impacted by the suspension.
Suspension Went Beyond Notre Dame Sports Betting
Bevacqua wasn’t specific in his statement, but he said the swimming team additionally fell short of expectations of “dignity and respect” among teammates.
“While individual conduct varied, the overwhelming cultural dynamic on the team necessitates a full suspension,” he said in his statement.
The AD expressed regret to incoming recruits and a “small number of team members” who did not participate in the misconduct. Bevacqua said the university will work with other departments to support students who planned to swim at Notre Dame.
“While we are certainly disappointed by the actions that led to the decision, we recognize that our students make mistakes,” he added. “Our goal is to educate and support them to the best of our ability.”
Report: Coaching Staff, Olympian Not Cited in Probe
Notre Dame administrators first learned of isolated incidents of unacceptable conduct during the 2023-24 school year. A source told Russo more than 60% of the 25 returning swimmers bet on Notre Dame meet times.
“The review also revealed some members of the team had bet among themselves on events such as the Super Bowl and March Madness basketball tournament games,” the AP writer said in his report.
Russo’s source also said investigators did not uncover evidence that would tie Olympian Chris Guiliano to the Notre Dame sports betting scandal. He swam the second leg of Team USA’s gold medal-winning 4×100 freestyle relay.
Notre Dame swimming coach Chris Lindauer served as one of Team USA’s assistant coaches in Paris. Bevacqua said the external investigation cleared all members of the Notre Dame coaching staff:
“The review found that the staff was not aware of gambling or the scope and extent of other troubling behaviors because team members effectively concealed such behaviors from the coaches and staff through concerted efforts.”
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