Hazing issues emerge at Notre Dame
Earlier in August, VegasSlotsOnline News reported on gambling issues at the University of Notre Dame, as an Associated Press source revealed that the school’s men’s swim team had been suspended for a minimum of one year after an independent law firm discovered that various team members had gambled on each other throughout the season, including placing over/under wagers on race times and betting on “how many women would cry after their races.”
the team is also under investigation by Notre Dame’s Office of Institutional Equity (OIE)”
The latter part of their bets hints at deeper problems now coming under investigation, which center around a culture of hazing, homophobia, and denigration. On August 29, SwimSwam reported that a source told it “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.”
While betting on each other already earned the team a stiff punishment, SwimSwam’s source says the newest scope of the investigation comes from claims of hazing and group texts involving homophobic slurs and bestiality.
Ongoing shift in college culture
The move for an investigation and potential penalties reflects an ongoing shift in college culture to hold students and staff accountable for reprehensible behavior toward each other. Last season, for example, Boston College’s swim and dive program faced a one-year academic suspension after an investigation confirmed similar allegations of hazing and other conduct issues.
The suspension at Boston college came amidst a series of hazing issues at other schools throughout the late 2010s, including Brown, Dartmouth, East Carolina, and Bucknell. Further, SwimSwam reports that 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.”
Hope for college sports going forward
Those schools may face uncomfortable suspension periods, but their actions indicate a commitment to a healthier culture going forward. Notre Dame similarly released a statement, saying: “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 team may face a suspension longer than the current one-year ban
The school’s commitment to reform will be tested if the current OIE investigation finds that Notre Dame’s men’s team engaged in hazing and other forms of misconduct. If the investigation confirms the allegations, the team may face a suspension longer than the current one-year ban.
As the situation stands, Notre Dame’s men’s swim team is prohibited from entering any competitions for at least one academic year. Betting on themselves, let alone their own competitions, violates NCAA rules for college sports. The self-imposed ban affirms the college’s commitment to improving their culture in line with colleges across the country.
Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua doesn’t believe the coaching staff was aware of the widespread issues. His commitment to “rebuild a culture of dignity, respect, and exemplary conduct” stands to resolve concerns about internal betting, as well as the emerging concerns around hazing and insults toward fellow team members.