Gambling continues to leave an imprint on the world of professional and college sports. The latest controversy hit college swimming.
Sports betting companies, including DraftKings and FanDuel, are changing the economic ecosystem of college sports.
Fans can see the impact. Gambling advertisements litter the airwaves during sporting events, with Kevin Hart, Jamie Foxx, J.B. Smoove and others enlisted to convince audiences to empty their pockets in pursuit of the money line.
The legalization and subsequent rise of sports betting also has been accompanied by heightened rates of gambling addiction in young men, as Newsweek reported in 2023 and as Siena College found in a 2024 survey.
The Notre Dame men's swimming team found this out the hard way.
Numerous athletes have been mired in gambling controversy over the past year, including Premier League players Ivan Toney, Sandro Tonali and Lucas Paqueta, former NBA player Jontay Porter and former MLB player Tucupita Marcano. So too have collegiate programs, from Alabama baseball to Iowa football to Temple basketball.
Notre Dame is the latest school to be hit with a sports betting scandal. The Irish athletic department is suspending the men's swimming team for a minimum of one year after finding that athletes violated NCAA rules in regards to gambling. Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde was the first to report on the findings.
Here's a look at the details behind the program's lengthy ban.
Notre Dame swimming controversy, explained
Concerns regarding the culture within Notre Dame's men's swimming team surfaced towards the end of the 2023-24 season, prompting Notre Dame to conduct its own internal review of the program. In late June, the school hired private law firm Ropes & Gray to conduct a separate external investigation on the team. The final findings of Ropes & Gray's review were unveiled this week.
Notre Dame's men's swim team effectively created its own sportsbook, per reports. Swimmers placed bets on their performances in the pool, with the team crafting "over/under" lines for swimmer's times during various events. Wagers would be placed based on the outcome of different races, as well.
Most of the swimmers returning to the team for the 2024-25 season are believed to have participated in the betting.
"The external review confirmed and expanded on our initial concerns," athletic director Pete Bevacqua said. "These findings are contrary to the University’s values and all that we stand for in Notre Dame athletics.
"In order to ensure that this behavior ends and to rebuild a culture of dignity, respect, and exemplary conduct, we have decided to suspend the men’s swimming program for at least one academic year. While individual conduct varied, the overwhelming cultural dynamic on the team necessitates a full suspension."
Neither the women's swimming nor the men's and women's diving teams were affected by Thursday's announcement.
The timing of Thursday's announcement is notable. Forde reported that athletes wishing to transfer — including incoming freshmen — should have free rein to do so before the start of classes on Aug. 27. Head coach Chris Lindauer and his staff weren't disciplined, with the investigations finding that “the staff 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.”
Those found to have committed gambling infractions will face sanctions even if they depart for other schools, Forde reported. Some Notre Dame swimmers were found to have bet on other sports and schools. Those wagers carry less severe penalties than the prospect of gambling on one's own sport.
The team were also found to have cultivated a team culture that Bevacqua called "dismissive of Notre Dame’s standards for student-athletes.” Much of that claim stemmed from a group chat among men's team members. Per Bevacqua, teammates did not "treat one another with dignity and respect." There was no evidence of any physical abuse within the team.
Thursday's announcement could have dire implications for Lindauer, who led the Irish to their first-ever top-10 finish at the NCAA championships. The program also sent its first men's swimmer to the Olympics in freestyler Chris Guiliano.
Guiliano competed in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyles. He also featured on the U.S.'s gold medal-winning 400m freestyle relay team. Guiliano isn't believed to be one of the swimmers who wagered on his team.
“As stated at the launch of the review, we take seriously our obligation to foster a community of student-athletes who not only compete and perform at the highest level academically and athletically, but whose conduct reflects the University’s values,” Bevacqua said. “We hope this decision sends a clear and unequivocal message reaffirming that commitment and expectation.”
NCAA sports betting policy
Here's a look at the NCAA's current set of guidelines on athlete betting:
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Wagers of $200 or less: Sports wagering rules and prevention education.
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Wagers from $201-$500: Loss of 10% of a season of eligibility, plus rules and prevention education.
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Wagers from $501-$800: Loss of 20% of a season of eligibility, plus rules and prevention education.
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Wagers greater than $800: Loss of 30% of a season of eligibility, plus rules and prevention education.
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For cumulative wagering activities that greatly exceed $800, NCAA reinstatement staff are directed to consider whether additional loss of eligibility, including permanent ineligibility, are appropriate.