Notre Dame Suspends Men’s Swimming Team for 1 Year Due to Betting Violations

The Notre Dame men’s swimming program has been suspended from all competitions for alleged violations of sports betting regulations.

In a statement, the University disclosed that an internal investigation raised concerns about a gambling culture within the team, leading to the decision to impose a self-suspension.

The investigation, conducted by external reviewers, “documented numerous violations of NCAA rules prohibiting gambling on intercollegiate swimming and other athletic competitions, despite clear and recurrent training provided to all our student-athletes by our Athletics Compliance staff about those rules.”

Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua commented:

“These findings are in direct conflict with the University’s values and the principles of Notre Dame athletics. To ensure this behavior ceases 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.”

Bevacqua also noted that while a small number of team members were not involved in any gambling activities, the overall team culture led to the full suspension of the program. He expressed regret that athletes planning to join the program in the upcoming academic year would not have access to competitive swimming or training at the university for the next year.

Reports indicate that most swimmers on the team are suspected of placing bets on college athletics. However, the coaching staff has not been reprimanded, as it is believed that only students were involved in the breaches.

The men’s diving team and the women’s swimming and diving teams are separate programs and were not part of the investigation.

College athletes are prohibited from betting on NCAA sports and from sharing any information that could influence the outcome of a game or event.

Following the announcement, NCAA spokeswoman Meghan Durham Wright stated:

“The national office is aware that Notre Dame has declared several student-athletes ineligible due to potential violations of sports betting rules. We continue to work with the school as it determines what occurred. The NCAA does not comment on specific eligibility cases due to student privacy laws, and we have no further comment at this time.”

Recent Surge in Student Betting Violations in the US Sports betting violations by students and coaching staff at universities and colleges have been on the rise in the US, with several high-profile incidents in recent years.

Last year, 16 current and former students and coaching staff members from both Iowa State University and the University of Iowa were charged with illegal sports betting. Most were accused of tampering with records to conceal their identities and using sports betting apps, with some students facing charges of identity theft.

A 2023 survey by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) on sports betting issues on college campuses revealed that 27% of schools had encountered sports betting violations, up from 3% in 2019. Despite this increase, only 23% of schools were using a sports wagering integrity monitoring service. The survey also found that 25% of schools were aware of student-athletes being harassed by gamblers, either online or in person.