NCAA Football League Forces Notre Dame To Forfeit 2012, 2013 Victories Due to Academic Violations

By Carlo Monzon
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Flickr / Neon Tommy

The NCAA has imposed a ruling that would force the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to vacate their victories from 2012 and 2013. According to reports, the league made the decision due to the academic violations committed by a member of the university's athletic program.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Notre Dame brought the matter to the NCAA in July of 2014. After a series of investigations, the league's Division I Committee on Infractions discovered that the Fighting Irish' student trainer committed several violations related to some of the players' academic responsibilities.

These included completing the coursework of two football players. In addition, in a total of 18 classes the student-trainer also provided six players with impermissible academic extra benefits.

According to the division, these occurred in 2012 and 2013. Due to the violations committed by the student-trainer, the players involved in the case were able to play in the games of those years even though they were supposed to be ineligible.

As a result, the NCAA has ordered Notre Dame to vacate their victories where the players made appearance from those years. Since the Fighting Irish held a record of 12-1 in 2012 and 9-4 in 2013, this means the team will have to forfeit a total of 21 wins from those seasons.

Head coach Brian Kelly said that Notre Dame will appeal the ruling made by the NCAA.

"It was a discretionary action by the committee," he said according to USA Today. "It was student-on-student cheating. Nobody was implicated. The NCAA agreed across the board with that finding. And, [the punishment] was clearly excessive."

"So, as you know, we're going to appeal this," he added. "And one of the options or the clear reasons for the appeal is that the penalty is excessive in its discretion and we believe we have ground there."

Kelly also believes that the NCAA's decision will not affect his status as coach of Notre Dame.

"This matter has nothing to do with me and my status here," he said. "This academic piece probably strengthens what I've been doing relative to advocating for our student-athletes and academic support staff relative to them being successful."

  • ‘Wang Mingdao’s Diary’ reproduction highlights complexities of contemporary Chinese Christianity

    On December 9, the China Graduate School of Theology (中国神学研究院) hosted a public lecture titled “A Courageous Witness in the Times—Launch of Wang Mingdao (王明道)’s Diary.” The lecture, themed “Faith Patterns in Beijing’s Christian Churches Through the Lens of Wang Mingdao’s Diary,” featured Dr. Ni Buxiao (倪步晓), Associate Director and Assistant Professor at the Christian Faith and Chinese Culture Research Center of Alliance Bible Seminary (建道神学院), as the keynote speaker.

  • Floating library ‘Doulos Hope’ arrives in Taiwan; spreading love and hope from a former cruise ship

    Doulos Hope, the international floating book fair ship, has returned to Taiwan and is now docked at Kaohsiung Port, open to the public from December 18, 2024, to January 12, 2025. Originally built in 1991 and renovated in 2022, the ship features over 2,000 books on various topics, including faith, science, and art. It is operated by a diverse crew of 140 volunteers from 25 countries, offering services such as education, healthcare, and community outreach. The ship's mission is to spread hope and

  • Chinese Online School of Theology publishes annual ministry report: Expanding Chinese theological education through new strategies

    In the 2023-2024 academic year, New York-based Chinese Online School of Theology (COST) has seen significant development in expanding its ministry in theological education and mission outreach. They have promoted a series of new events and projects to explore different strategies that expand theological education for Chinese ministers. The following are some highlights from the 2023-2024 annual report:

  • Dr. Fenggang Yang: How foreign forces transformed traditional Chinese legal systems

    In a recent lecture to Chinese Christians, scholar Dr. Fenggang Yang (杨凤岗) gave an in-depth analysis of the historical evolution and contemporary significance of the modern legal system in Chinese society. He explored the tensions and integrations between traditional law and modern rule of law, highlighting the distinctive characteristics of China’s traditional legal system and emphasizing the role of foreign influences in introducing modern legal practices into Chinese society.

Top Stories