Notre Dame suspends swim team following gambling probe

The mens swimming program at Notre Dame will be shut down for at least a year after an investigation found widespread gambling within the team, according to a report.

Notre Dame announced the ban after it received reports of possible misconduct and conducted an investigation that “documented numerous violations of NCAA rules prohibiting gambling on intercollegiate swimming and other athletic competitions.”

In a statement, Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua went on to describe a “deeply embedded team culture dismissive of Notre Dame’s standards for student-athletes, including our expectation that they treat one another with dignity and respect.”

According to a report from Sports Illustrated, Notre Dame swimmers wagered on their own performances amongst themselves by setting over/under lines for their times. NCAA rules forbid athletes from gambling, and its most severe penalties are for those that gamble on their own performance.

Coaches and staff members were unaware of the gambling and were not disciplined, according to the report.