Four football players at Notre Dame are suspected of cheating and getting away with it, adding more fuel to the belief that student athletes get pampered academically.

The College Fix reports:

Notre Dame Rocked by Charges of Academic Cheating

The Fighting Irish are fighting for their reputations. The New York Times reported on Tuesday:

… Friday afternoon … it was revealed that four football players — all probable starters — were suspected of being among several students who had cheated in class. …

The issue is also notable because Notre Dame football stands apart in many ways. It is the only university that commands its own network television deal. It has the only major program that remains independent. And it demands unusually rigorous academic performance compared with other top programs. …

Notre Dame announced Friday in a statement that four players were being held out of practice and competition, though not suspended, pending an investigation into “suspected academic dishonesty,” including submitting “papers and homework that had been written for them by others.” The university also notified the N.C.A.A. and pledged to vacate any tainted wins — which could include some from its 2012 season, its most successful in nearly two decades.

The penance on this one could be tough, very tough.