When your team is 4-7. Photo by Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
The Notre Dame football team, which is currently 4-7 on the season, was formally disciplined by the NCAA Tuesday for academic misconduct charges spread across the 2012 and 2013 seasons. An investigation by the association found that a student athletic trainer completed coursework for two players, and provided "impermissible academic assistance"—their term, not ours—to six additional players.The announcement formally puts to bed a scandal that first came to light two years ago, when five Fighting Irish players—KeiVarae Russell, DaVaris Daniels, Ishaq Williams, Kendall Moore, and Eilar Hardy—were suspended for the 2014 season for what were then undisclosed academic violations. None of those five players currently plays for the 4-7 Notre Dame.For its part, the NCAA doled out a potpourri of small punishments, including a year's probation for the athletic department, a two-year show cause against the student trainer, a public reprimand, and a fine of $5,000. Most notable, however, is an order to vacate the football program's wins over the 2012 and 2013 seasons—21 wins in total, or 17 more than the number of wins Notre Dame has in 2016.Brian Kelly told USA Today, "This matter has nothing to do with me," which sounds about right from the least accountable coach working in sports these days. He did, however, draw one conclusion from the news. "Any negative criticism about me now is because we're 4-7 [emphasis ours]."The 4-7 Notre Dame takes on USC this Saturday, for a chance to improve its record to 5-7.