On Thursday, Sports Illustrated reported that Notre Dame would be shutting down its men’s swimming program for at least the entire 2024-2025 season after an internal investigation found that the swimmers created their “own sportsbook” to bet the over/under on teammates’ times.
This internal sportsbook would have been in the extreme minority of those that accept wagers on swimming, as no legal U.S. betting apps have done so to date.
The team’s coaching staff will not face discipline, as Notre Dame’s investigation found that it “was not aware of gambling or the scope and extent of other troubling behaviors because team members effectively concealed such behaviors from the coaches and staff through concerted efforts.”
Furthermore, Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua described the suspended program as being besotted with “a deeply embedded team culture dismissive of Notre Dame’s standards for student-athletes.”
The members of the men’s team, including incoming freshmen, will be permitted to transfer before classes begin on Aug. 27, although they still may be sanctioned for their behavior at their new destinations.
Gray Area?
The investigation found that some Notre Dame swimmers placed bets on other sports involving other schools, which, according to more flexible NCAA gambling guidelines instituted a little over a year go, may not result in any significant loss of eligibility, provided their wagers amounted to $800 or less.
However, if a student influences the result of a sporting event in which they are involved for the benefit of a wager, they could lose all athletic eligibility.
If the Notre Dame wagering was restricted to over/under bets on the times of teammates, it could create an interesting gray area. If a swimmer was somehow incentivized by a teammate who bet the “under” on his time in, say, the 100-meter freestyle, he would clearly be susceptible to having his eligibility stripped.
It’s worth noting, however, that Notre Dame’s men’s program was in the top 10 nationally last year. So, what if the “over/under” pool simply resulted in swimmers going all out and the money falling where it fell without a whiff of meet fixing? They’d be punished for participating, undoubtedly, but how severely?
Either way, this feels like uncharted waters.
