Notre Dame football forced to vacate wins over academic fraud

The Notre Dame football program must vacate wins from the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons after the NCAA ruled that a student athletic trainer committed academic misconduct on behalf of players.

The NCAA handed down the ruling today. The program will also be placed on probation for one year and fined $5,000.

According to a news release from the NCAA, a former student trainer completed coursework for two student-athletes and provided impermissible academic assistance to another six players.

The vacated records include Notre Dame’s 2012-13 season, when the Fighting Irish won 12 games and lost to Alabama in the BCS Championship game. The team won 21 games during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.

From the NCAA:

Penalties prescribed by the panel include:

• 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.

According to CBS Sports, Notre Dame will appeal the ruling.

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