An NCAA investigation into the Notre Dame football program found that a former student athletic trainer completed coursework for two players and provided six others with impermissible academic extra benefits. Another football player committed misconduct on his own, the investigation found.
According to the NCAA, the misconduct resulted in the athletes playing while ineligible — one during the 2012-13 season and the other two during the 2013-14 season.
MORE: Is Brian Kelly's job secure?
Including a one-year probation for the program, Notre Dame must vacate wins from the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. The Irish appeared in the BCS National Championship game in January 2013 and lost, 42-14, to Alabama after a 12-0 regular season. The following season the Irish finished 9-4 with a win in the Pinstripe Bowl.
According to CSN Chicago, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly says the school will the appeal having to vacate the victories, calling that punishment excessive.
Brian Kelly says #NotreDame will appeal the vacation of all its 2012 and 2013 wins on the grounds that it's an excessive penalty.
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) November 22, 2016
The NCAA outlined the following penalties for both Notre Dame and the former athletic trainer:
— 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.
This news likely won’t bode well for Kelly, who is stumbling through a 4-7 season — his worst in seven seasons with the program.