The Notre Dame swimming and diving team are some of the best in amateur athletics. But betting on their meets has also made them the latest gambling scandal. (Image: Scott Rausenberger / ZUMA)

The University of Notre Dame announced Thursday that it has suspended its men’s swimming team for a minimum of one year after an external violation found that many of the team’s athletes were engaged in illegal gambling that violated NCAA rules.

The timing of the announcement will allow impacted athletes to transfer to other schools, though any NCAA sanctions would follow them to other programs.

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Officials Cite ‘Cultural Dynamic’ in Levying Suspension

According to Notre Dame officials, while not all athletes were a part of the illegal betting, the culture that allowed the gambling to take place was pervasive on the team.

“While individual conduct varied, the overwhelming cultural dynamic on the team necessitates a full suspension,” Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a statement. “We profoundly regret that the small number of team members who did not participate in the conduct, and those who were planning on joining the team this fall, will also suffer the consequences of this decision.”

Bevacqua also noted that swim coach Chris Lindauer and his staff were not involved in the illegal activity.

“The review found that the staff was not aware of gambling or the score and extent of other troubling behaviors because team members effectively concealed such behaviors from the coaches and staff through concerted efforts,” Bevacqua said in the statement. “According to the review, when the staff became aware of certain isolated incidents of unacceptable conduct, they treated them seriously and professionally.”

Sports Illustrated cited sources who said that the men’s swimming team had created what amounted to its own sportsbook to wager on their own swimming performances, and that the majority of the returning team members for the 2024-25 school year were believed to have placed bets. Athletes allegedly set Over/Under times for individual swimmers in certain races, bets that are not available at any regulated sportsbook in the United States. 

“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,” Bevacqua said in his statement.

Athletes Who Bet on Own Sport Could Face Permanent Ineligibility 

The NCAA has softened some of its penalties for athletes who bet on sports other than their own. Some Notre Dame swimmers allegedly did so, betting on the NCAA basketball tournaments and other events. Such wagers would result in athletes losing only a small portion of a season of eligibility and receiving extra education on the subject, with the exact penalties depending on how much was wagered. 

However, penalties are far more severe for athletes who wager on their own sports and teams. 

“Student-athletes who engage in activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provide information to individuals involved in sports betting activities will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports,” NCAA guidelines from June 2023 state. “This would also apply to student-athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools.”

Many states have tried to limit legal college sports betting by banning prop bets on collegiate events. However, such rules would do nothing to stop informal betting rings like the one supposedly run by the Notre Dame men’s swimming team. 

According to Notre Dame, the school hired the law firm Ropes & Gray to perform the external review into the alleged gambling after administrators received reports of possible misconduct.

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