Notre Dame football sanctioned by NCAA for recruiting violations
The Notre Dame football program has been sanctioned by the NCAA for recruiting violations by a former assistant coach and one violation by Coach Brian Kelly.
The university and the NCAA reached an agreement to settle the allegations.
Notre Dame self-reported the violations to the NCAA.
The NCAA says the assistant coach had improper contact with a prospective student athlete at the student’s high school on January 15, 2019 in Seattle. The former coach told the student the university was interested in recruiting him.
Between July 17 and August 9, 2019, the assistant coach is also accused of sending 10 text messages to a 2021 prospective student athlete. The coach mistakenly believed the student was a 2020 prospect and sent him a text message on July 17, three text messages on August 7 and six text messages on August 9, reports said.
The assistant coach was terminated in January 2020.
The allegations also include a violation by Head Coach Brian Kelly. The NCAA says on October 18, 2019, the coach was visiting a high school in Ohio when he had impermissible contact with a prospective student-athlete.
Reports say the coach was walking through the high school’s cafeteria when the prospective student athlete recognized the coach and asked to take a photo with him. Although the coach initially refused, he took a photo with the student, reports said.
For the violations, the university will serve a year of probation, pay a $5,000 fine, along with recruiting restrictions for the 2020-21 academic year.
The former assistant coach will have to serve a one game suspension and will be suspended from all recruiting activity during the next available recruiting period.
“Any violation of NCAA rules is unacceptable and Notre Dame Athletics takes full responsibility for its actions in this regard. While we made clear to the NCAA our view that the agreed-upon penalties exceeded the nature of the infractions, we accept the final outcome of the case. In addition, the assistant coach involved is no longer employed by the University," Jack Swarbrick - University Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics, said in a statement.