Notre Dame Football Punished for NCAA Violations

The NCAA has punished the Notre Dame football program for a recruiting violation involving Brian Kelly and a former assistant coach.

Notre Dame football is on a 1-year probation with the NCAA after the governing body's Committee on Infractions completed an investigation into a recruiting misstep.

In reality, the penalties are not terribly stiff (neither were the infractions), but it's certainly bad PR for the Irish football program. This is the second time during Brian Kelly's tenure that Notre Dame has been in trouble for recruiting violations.

The penalties include:

- One year probation
- $5,000 fine
- A six-month show-cause order for the former assistant coach, including a one-game suspension at any employing member school
- Reduced football official visits for the 2020-21 academic year by one
- Reduced football unofficial visits by 14 days for the 2020-21 academic year
- A seven-day off-campus recruiting ban for the entire football staff during the 2020-21 academic year
- The university ended the recruitment of the prospect
- The university will not recruit any prospects from the high school in Seattle from the 2019-2020 through 2021-22 academic years.

The NCAA says a former Notre Dame assistant coach had impermissible, in-person contact with a Seattle-based prospect at his high school before July 1 after the completion of his junior year. During that meeting, the former assistant coach expressed interest in the player and sent impermissible text messages to that player on 10 occasions.

Further, head coach Brian Kelly was also given a Level III recruiting violation for posing in a photo with another prospect while visiting that player's high school during the fall.

Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick issued the following statement on the matter:

"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."

The Fighting Irish lost the final two games of the season to Clemson and Alabama, but they made the College Football Playoff for the second time in three years.

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