The gambling suspension handed to the Notre Dame men’s swimming team may only be scratching the surface of what the program could face amid deeper investigations into the program’s culture.
On August 15, the men’s swim team was suspended for a minimum of one year after an independent law firm found that most team members engaged in gambling throughout the season, including placing over/under wages on times and betting on “how many women would cry after their races.”
But the gambling suspension may only be the tip of the iceberg.
A source told SwimSwam that the team is also under investigation by Notre Dame’s Office of Institutional Equity (OIE), which deals with ensuring the discrimination, harassment and retaliation policies within the school and legally are complied with.
The investigation stems from allegations of hazing, and group texts involving homophobic slurs and bestiality, according to the source. Individual athletes are being investigated for their roles in the alleged behaviors.
The statement made by the school handing down the suspension in mid-August notably said it was for “at least one academic year,” leaving the possibility of it being extended.
Last season, Boston College’s swim & dive program was suspended for one academic year after an investigation confirmed allegations of hazing, along with recurring conduct issues, which is consistent with what Notre Dame alluded to in announcing the men’s swim team’s gambling suspension.
“The external review confirmed and expanded on our initial concerns about 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,” the statement said.
Last year’s BC suspension came in the wake of an array of hazing issues within the sport in the late 2010s, including Brown, Dartmouth, East Carolina and Bucknell all facing ramifications for hazing.
In 2015, Western Kentucky suspended its swim & dive programs for five years for hazing, and efforts to revive the programs began this past April after the teams didn’t come back when the suspension ended.
If the current OIE investigation does find that the Notre Dame men’s team engaged in hazing (and other misconduct), it stands to reason that the suspension could be extended beyond the current one-year ban. This latest development only adds to the lingering questions about the situation.
So crazy
The Rice Purity Test fears no man, but that thing: “Notre Dame Men’s Swimming” it scares me
It’s wild how many people here in the comments are defending homophobia (and bestiality??). I do feel bad for any athletes who were not involved in this mess and who are now paying the price for their teammate’s actions. The gambling was one thing (although it’s very clearly illegal under NCAA regs), but behavior described in this article really should not be tolerated.
is having conversations about sexual acts on (or with) a leprechaun considered bestality?
asking for a (very tiny) friend.
Boys will be boys. Just give them a little detention.
Boys will be held accountable for their actions.
Shit went down. This suspension is extreme considering these are college students who do stupid things. Myself included in the stupid things category. Why are they being obscure about what went down.
I think in solidarity all the swimmers across the country should leak their group chats. Let’s see how different from ND we really are (we are probably not)
Thousands of swimmers are deleting group chats as we speak
“Bad decisions come and go, but the internet is forever…”
I’m not excusing the boys’ behavior, but back in my day, we at least had the decency not to commit our shenanigans to paper. This situation proves that just because you come from a wealthy family doesn’t mean you’re intelligent.
I’m sure this gives ND all the justification they need to cut the men’s program so the football team can get new jerseys next year.
Not all from wealthy families
“Bad decisions come and go, but the internet is forever…”
I’m not excusing the boys’ behavior, but back in my day, we at least had the decency not to commit our shenanigans to paper. This situation proves that just because you come from a wealthy family doesn’t mean you’re intelligent.
I’m sure this gives ND all the justification they need to cut the men’s program so the football team can get new jerseys next year.
I apologize to any victims and anyone not involved in the behavior that has been caught up in the ramifications. That being said, as a complete outsider, none of this makes sense to me.
I never swam at a high level and wasn’t at the parties in college, so I don’t have a personal history or past teammates I am trying to defend here. I don’t want to excuse homophobia, harassment, or hazing. If any of that went on, then punishment is warranted.
That being said, why aren’t we seeing the external review? Why aren’t we seeing individualized punishment or punishment that extends beyond athletic participation? The NCAA has clear guidelines for structuring punishment for gambling, so why hasn’t… Read more »
Why are you not seeing individual punishment? It’s because it’s not football or basketball.
This is a strategic play by ND to cut the program in 2025
I agree with you and other commenters that it’s plausible that this is a convenient economic decision.
More broadly, your reply answers my fundamental question, which is for what set of behaviors is a one-year blanket ban an appropriate punishment? Your reply would indicate that it is not appropriate, but rather that it is convenient. I would certainly agree that it is not appropriate and likely over-punishes some student athletes while not punishing others enough.
What I don’t understand is why there isn’t more outrage in the comments about how the administration is choosing to handle this. By their own admission, and the admission of the lawyers they hired, not every swimmer was involved and the coaches were proactive in… Read more »
I agree with you and other commenters that it’s plausible that this is a convenient economic decision.
More broadly, your reply answers my fundamental question, which is for what set of behaviors is a one-year blanket ban an appropriate punishment? Your reply would indicate that it is not appropriate, but rather that it is convenient. I would certainly agree that it is not appropriate and likely over-punishes some student athletes while not punishing others enough.
What I don’t understand is why there isn’t more outrage in the comments about how the administration is choosing to handle this. By their own admission, and the admission of the lawyers they hired, not every swimmer was involved and the coaches were proactive in… Read more »