In the eyes of the NCAA, Notre Dame’s 2012 and 2013 seasons, at least when it comes to victories, never happened.
The Association announced Tuesday that its investigation into Notre Dame found that a former student athletic trainer “violated NCAA ethical conduct rules when she committed academic misconduct for two football student-athletes and provided six other football student-athletes with impermissible academic extra benefits.” Additionally, the Committee on Infractions found that another football student-athlete committed academic misconduct on his own.
None of the players involved were named by the NCAA, but the situation is related to the so-called “Frozen Five,” players who had been suspended in August of 2014 pending the outcome of an internal investigation into allegations of academic fraud. At the time, the school stated that it had also notified the NCAA of any potential violations.
From the NCAA’s release, detailing the findings of their investigation:During two academic years, the former student trainer and two football student-athletes engaged in academic misconduct when the former student trainer completed coursework for the student-athletes. These student-athletes, in addition to a third football student-athlete, also committed academic misconduct individually. The university determined the three student-athletes violated its academic integrity policies. The misconduct resulted in the student-athletes playing while ineligible — one student-athlete during the 2012-13 season and the other two student-athletes during the 2013-14 season.
The former student trainer also provided impermissible academic assistance to six additional football student-athletes in a total of 18 classes. She provided the assistance while she attended the university and a year after she graduated. Two of the student-athletes violated the university’s academic integrity policies. The remaining four student-athletes were not enrolled at the time the violations were discovered, so they were not subject to the university’s policies.
The panel found the former student trainer violated NCAA ethical conduct rules when she committed academic misconduct and provided the impermissible academic extra benefits. She signed documents outlining that she should not complete academic work for student-athletes, but the panel noted she provided the assistance and did not ask the university’s compliance representatives if her actions would violate university and NCAA rules.
For the former student athletic trainer, the NCAA gave her one year probation and a two-year show-cause order. She has also been disassociated from the university from Nov. 22, 2016, through Nov. 21, 2018.
Notre Dame was placed on one-year probation, received a $5,000 fine and received an official public reprimand and censure. Most notably, the NCAA prescribed "[a] vacation of all records in which student-athletes participated while ineligible during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 football seasons.” In other words, the Irish will be forced to vacate all of their 2012 and 2013 wins in which ineligible players participated.
It’s believed that at least one ineligible player played in every win during those seasons, meaning the Irish would be forced to vacate a total of 21 wins (12 in their run to the BCS title game, nine the following season). Head coach Brian Kelly said early this afternoon that the university will appeal the vacation of wins. The president of the university confirmed as much as well.President John Jenkins: “We disagree with the decision of the hearing panel to impose, at its own discretion, a vacation of records penalty”
— Irish Illustrated (@PeteSampson_) November 22, 2016
President John Jenkins: “Notre Dame would willingly accept a vacation of records penalty if it were appropriate. It is not in this case.”
— Irish Illustrated (@PeteSampson_) November 22, 2016