On Dec. 26, Mr. Te'o informed Notre Dame officials, and the university hired an independent firm to investigate, Mr. Swarbrick said.

WSJ: Notre Dame's Manti Te'o Finds Inspiration Wasn't Real

And Stanford University had no record of her ever attending school and playing on the volleyball team, as Te'o had told reporters.

CNN: Te'o story, big fail for sportswriters

Both Mr. Te'o and Notre Dame acknowledged Wednesday that Lennay Kekua, who was said to have been a Stanford University student, was a hoax.

WSJ: Notre Dame's Manti Te'o Finds Inspiration Wasn't Real