The University of Notre Dame has suspended its men’s swimming team for at least one academic year after a review by an outside law firm revealed misconduct among the student athletes, the university announced Thursday, including breaking National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules related to gambling.
A public statement about the suspension, attributed to athletics director Pete Bevacqua, cited a culture within the team that was “dismissive of Notre Dame’s standards for student-athletes, including our expectation that they treat one another with dignity and respect.” He said a small number of individual athletes appear not to have been involved in the misconduct.
The review by the law firm Ropes & Gray LLP found that coaching staff was unaware of the misbehavior. When they did learn of “isolated incidents of unacceptable conduct,” they handled them appropriately, according to the review.
“We hope this decision sends a clear and unequivocal message reaffirming that commitment and expectation,” Bevacqua said in the statement. “And, as we do after any major action, we will continue to review our internal processes and reporting structures to ensure that we are doing all that we can to nurture a positive experience for all Notre Dame student-athletes. We will work even harder to provide a welcoming and safe community for all our students.”
