A few weeks after Notre Dame was in the College Football Playoff fighting for a national championship, the program is now fighting NCAA recruiting violations.

On Thursday, the NCAA revealed that the football program committed recruiting violations, having impermissible contact with prospects. The association released a statement, saying a former assistant football coach spoke with a recruit privately at his high school before July 1.

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The assistant coach also exchanged text messages with another prospect on 10 occasions, which was a violation, as well. There’s also a Level III recruiting violation involving head football coach Brian Kelly who took a photo with a recruit while visiting the student’s high school during the fall evaluation period.

Here are the penalties Notre Dame is facing, per the NCAA:

  • One year of probation.
  • $5,000 fine.
  • Six-month show-cause order for the former assistant football 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 2019-20 through 2021-22 academic years.

Notre Dame finished the 2020 college football season with a 10-2 record and appeared in the College Football Playoff for the second time under Kelly. The Irish played in the ACC due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can view the NCAA’s release here.