Jenkins addresses Notre Dame academic fraud investigation

Notre Dame president the Rev. John I. Jenkins, in an address to the university’s faculty Tuesday afternoon, addressed a number of topics, including the ongoing academic fraud investigation that involves five Irish football players.

The five – cornerback KeiVarae Russell, linebacker Kendall Moore, defensive end Ishaq Williams, wide receiver DaVaris Daniels and safety Eilar Hardy – are not allowed to practice or play while the investigation is ongoing.

According to The Observer, Notre Dame’s student newspaper, Jenkins said the athletic department’s compliance office became aware of “a potentially problematic situation involving a current student athlete as well as a student who served for a brief time as a paid student employee of the athletic department, although that position had no role in academic tutoring or advising of student athletes.”

“I want to underscore that the current investigation has not revealed any misconduct or knowledge of impropriety by regular, full-time staff,” he said. “However, given the student’s brief status as a paid employee, there was the possibility of what the NCAA considers an ‘excess benefit’ given to the student athlete by a representative of the institution.”

Irish coach Brian Kelly, whose team is 3-0 and ranked No. 9 nationally, said Sunday that, as of Friday, none of the five had gone through a hearing process before an honesty committee. The Irish are off this week and Kelly will not be available for comment until Tuesday.