The Notre Dame football team has been placed on probation by the NCAA, stemming from an academic scandal involving a student athletic trainer.
The unnamed trainer “committed academic misconduct” for two football players, while providing “impermissible academic extra benefits” for six others, according to the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions panel. As a result, the team’s wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons will be vacated among other penalties.
The former student trainer completed coursework for two football players, one in the 2012-2013 and one the 2013-2014 season.
The panel is recommending one year probation for Notre Dame athletics, a two-year show-cause order and disassociation from the former student trainer, and a $5,000 fine. Another student-athlete committed academic misconduct on his own in the 2013-2014 season. This resulted in three players playing while academically-ineligible.
The former student trainer also provided assistance to six other players in 18 total classes, even carrying over to the year after she graduated, according to the panel.
Here’s the complete list of penalties the panel is recommending.
- Public reprimand and censure for the university.
- One year of probation from Nov. 22, 2016, through Nov. 21, 2017.
- A two-year show-cause order for the former student trainer from Nov. 22, 2016, through Nov. 21, 2018. During that time, any NCAA member school that hires her in an athletically related position must appear with her before a Committee on Infractions panel.
- A disassociation of the former student trainer from the university’s athletics program from Nov. 22, 2016, through Nov. 21, 2018. During this period, the university may not accept assistance in the recruitment of prospects or support of student-athletes from the former student trainer; may not accept donations to the athletics program from the former student trainer; may not extend athletics benefits or privilege to the former student trainer that is not generally available to the public; and must ensure the former student trainer is not involved in the university’s athletics program.
- A vacation of all records in which student-athletes participated while ineligible during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 football seasons.
- A $5,000 fine.
In a press conference Tuesday, Brian Kelly said that this academic matter has nothing to do with him as a head coach, and stated he doesn’t think there’s any reason he won’t be head coach next season.
Notre Dame officials have released a statement of their own on the proposed sanctions.
