The NCAA announced Tuesday that Notre Dame must vacate victories from the 2012 and 2013 football seasons as a result of academic misconduct by a student-trainer. Notre Dame, though, isn’t ready to accept those penalties.
The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions panel levied the sanctions after ruling that the trainer violated NCAA rules by committing academic misconduct for two players and providing impermissible benefits to six others. Notre Dame will appeal the decision.
“We disagree with the decision of the hearing panel to impose, at its own discretion, a vacation of records penalty,” university president Rev. John I. Jenkins said. “In past academic misconduct cases, the Committee on Infractions has imposed this penalty only when it has found serious institutional misconduct, such as actions with the direct involvement or knowledge of a coach or academic personnel, a failure to monitor or a lack of institutional control. The NCAA enforcement staff and the hearing panel agreed with Notre Dame that no such institutional misconduct occurred in this case.”
Notre Dame finished 12-1, with an appearance in the BCS National Championship Game, during the 2012 season. The Fighting Irish went 9-4 in 2013. It is not specified how many victories the program must forfeit.
The next step is for Notre Dame to go before an NCAA infractions appeals committee. That committee can uphold, modify or reverse the original ruling, but once it comes to a conclusion, that ruling is final.