According to the university's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, an independent investigation was launched after reports of possible misconduct emerged. The investigation found serious cultural issues, including "multiple violations of NCAA rules prohibiting gambling on intercollegiate swimming and other athletic events."
As a result, the university has decided to suspend the entire swimming program for "at least one academic year." Several universities have dealt with gambling scandals in recent years, including Iowa, but none have involved an entire team.
The names of individual athletes were not included in the announcement. However, Bevacqua stressed that “the prevailing cultural dynamics within the team require a complete suspension.” The team’s coaching staff is not believed to have been involved in the violation and was unaware of what was happening.
According to Sports Illustrated, the timing of the program’s suspension allows athletes to transfer to other schools before classes begin on August 27. This includes freshmen who have not yet competed. However, if the athletes are sanctioned, they will transfer with them to their new schools.
The team has set up an in-house sportsbook
The SI report states that the team essentially set up its own sportsbook to bet on its performances. Odds were set for the times of the races, and a significant number of team members were betting.
The team finished 10th at the NCAA Championships this year and debuted its first Olympian, sending Chris Guliano to Paris. It is unclear if Guliano was involved in the scandal. At the Olympics, Guliano won a gold medal with the U.S. team in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay and a silver medal in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.
The University of Notre Dame is located in the state of Indiana, where sports betting is legal. However, no legal operators offer betting on college swimming. The minimum age to bet is 21, and some team members are under that age. Additionally, it is illegal to bet through unregulated sportsbooks in Indiana and other states. While the team likely organized betting within the team, the potential for influencing the results could result in serious penalties.
According to updated NCAA rules from June 2023, athletes who “engage in conduct intended to influence the outcome of their own games or knowingly provide information to persons engaged in sports betting may be permanently ineligible to compete at the college level.” The rule also applies to student-athletes who bet on their own games or on other sports at their schools.
In a statement to SI, NCAA spokesperson Megan Durham Wright said the association is “aware that Notre Dame has ineligible several student-athletes for potential sports betting violations.”
Because of student privacy laws, the NCAA declined to comment on specific ineligibility cases. The association has not yet commented on whether it will conduct its own investigation.