The University of Notre Dame has made the decision to suspend its men’s swimming program for at least one academic year. This action comes after an external review revealed that members of the team had violated NCAA rules by engaging in intrateam gambling on their competition results and by failing to treat each other with dignity and respect.
In a statement, Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua expressed the university’s intention to put an end to such behavior and to rebuild a culture that values dignity, respect, and exemplary conduct. Notre Dame has not disclosed the specifics of the review conducted by a law firm.
An individual familiar with the matter explained that team members had set up an internal sportsbook where they could place bets on their own or teammates’ performance times at meets. However, it was determined that no bets were made against opposing teams or any other Notre Dame athletic events. The university has chosen not to release the findings of the review publicly, and the source spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The same source revealed that over 60% of the returning team, comprising 25 swimmers, took part in this gambling activity. Moreover, it was discovered that some team members had also engaged in betting among themselves on events like the Super Bowl and NCAA basketball tournaments.
In addition to the gambling violations, derogatory remarks and messages were found in a group-text chat involving team members. However, there was no evidence of physical hazing or abuse. These details were initially reported by Sports Illustrated.
It should be noted that the women’s swimming and diving teams, as well as the men’s diving team, were not implicated in these violations. Coach Chris Lindauer and his staff fully cooperated with the review process and faced no dismissals.
The review concluded that the coaching staff was unaware of the gambling and other troubling behaviors due to the team members’ concerted efforts to conceal them. However, the staff took prompt and serious action whenever they became aware of isolated incidents of misconduct. In fact, Lindauer recently served as an assistant coach for USA Swimming at the Paris Olympics, while one of his swimmers, Chris Guiliano, won a gold medal as part of the 400-meter freestyle-relay team. The review did not find evidence implicating Guiliano in the wagering.
Notre Dame’s administration received reports of misconduct after the last school year and subsequently engaged the law firm Ropes & Gray to conduct the review in June. Members of the team will be allowed to transfer, but those found in violation of gambling rules will face NCAA sanctions.
NCAA spokeswoman Meghan Durham Wright acknowledged that the organization is aware of Notre Dame’s actions in declaring several student-athletes ineligible due to potential violations of sports-betting rules. She stated that the NCAA will continue to collaborate with the university to determine the nature of these violations. However, due to privacy laws, the NCAA does not disclose details pertaining to specific eligibility cases.
In recent months, the NCAA has adjusted its penalties for gambling violations, particularly for smaller wagers and bets placed on sports outside of athletes’ competitions. This decision by Notre Dame serves as a clear message reaffirming the university’s commitment to fostering a positive experience for its student-athletes.
Recent years have seen other university sports teams involved in gambling cases. For instance, in 2023, the University of Alabama fired its baseball Coach Brad Bohannon after authorities discovered suspicious wagers involving his team at a Cincinnati casino. Around the same time, Iowa authorities announced an investigation into illegal sports bets placed by college athletes at Iowa and Iowa State. Although most athletes reached plea deals or had charges dismissed, all were declared ineligible by the NCAA, resulting in significant consequences.
Despite the challenges faced, Coach Lindauer remains optimistic about Notre Dame’s ability to emerge even stronger from this situation. He stated, “While it has been a difficult few months, I am confident that Notre Dame took the correct steps to ensure this misconduct does not continue. I am hopeful we will emerge from this situation stronger than ever.”
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