SOUTH BEND — Following its best season in years — punctuated by a gold medal performance in the 2024 Paris Olympics — the Notre Dame swimming program has been suspended for a minimum of one year following an external gambling probe, Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua announced Thursday.
The investigation was initiated in June focusing on accusations of misconduct and “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,” Bevacqua said in a statement.
“This independent, external review also documented numerous violations of NCAA rules prohibiting gambling on intercollegiate swimming and other athletic competitions despite clear and recurrent training provided to all our student-athletes by our Athletics Compliance staff about those rules,” he continued. “These findings are contrary to the University’s values and all that we stand for in Notre Dame Athletics.”
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Bevacqua noted that head coach Chris Lindauer and his staff was not aware of the gambling nor the severity of the troubling behaviors from the swimmers because “team members effectively concealed such behaviors from the coaches and staff through concerted efforts.”
The news comes just two weeks after Notre Dame men’s swimming standout Chris Guiliano won an Olympic gold medal as part of Team USA’s 400-meter freestyle relay team. Lindauer was an assistant coach for Team USA as well.
The men’s diving team along with the women’s swimming and diving teams, were not indicted in investigation and will continue to compete in the 2024-25 school year.
Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde reported that the review essentially found that a majority of men’s team members are believed to have created their own sports book for the purpose of wagering on their swimming performances, according to his sources. He also reported that it doesn’t appear Guiliano was one of the swimmers to place bets and that Individual swimmers may be subject to additional sanctions from Notre Dame’s office of student affairs.
Swimmers wishing to to transfer can do so before classes begin Aug. 27 Forde reported citing sources. That includes incoming freshman.
Bevacqua added that Notre Dame takes seriously its role of fostering the university’s values upon its student-athletes.
“We hope this decision,” he wrote, “sends a clear and unequivocal message reaffirming that commitment and expectation.”