In a 2014 video for the Positive Coaching Alliance shot on a Northwestern practice field, Wildcats football coach Pat Fitzgerald discussed hazing in college athletics. Specifically, he said there was ‘‘zero tolerance’’ for it at the school where he starred as a player in the mid-1990s and has coached since 2001, including the last 17 seasons as head coach.
‘‘There’s no reason to ever have it,’’ he said. “I know there’s a lot of initiations and traditions and things of that nature, and we had that here back, frankly, when I was a player in some different ways. But as society has evolved and we really thought deep about how we want to welcome our new family members into our organizations, hazing should have nothing to do with it.’’
How does that sound now?
Hazing and NU are going hand-in-hand in the wake of an independent investigation into allegations about the football program. On Friday, the school announced it had suspended Fitzgerald, 48, for two weeks without pay. On Saturday, an explosive story in the Daily Northwestern detailed more specific allegations, quoting an anonymous former player who alleged that some of the hazing investigated involved coerced sexual acts. A second player confirmed these details to the student publication.
The player also alleged Fitzgerald might have known that hazing was taking place. In a statement released Friday, Fitzgerald said he ‘‘was not aware of the alleged incidents’’ before the investigation.
A third former player, who was on the team in 2022, corroborated the gist of the allegations for the Sun-Times, though he was unsure how much Fitzgerald would have known. Multiple former players from earlier teams — going back to before Fitzgerald’s own arrival as a player — indicated hazing always has been present at some level, though not to an unusual extent compared with other schools.
The Daily report alleges much of the team’s hazing centered on a practice dubbed ‘‘running,’’ which was used to punish team members, primarily freshmen, for mistakes made on the field and in practice. The Daily reported punished team members would be restrained by eight to 10 upperclassmen in a dark locker room, where the upperclassmen would begin ‘‘dry-humping’’ the victim.
The whistleblower, who complained to the school in November, described various alleged hazing traditions at Northwestern, most of them involving nudity. The investigation, which began in December under the direction of Maggie Hickey, the former inspector general of Illinois, concluded the claims were ‘‘largely supported by evidence.’’
As details of those claims made the rounds, social media erupted with criticism of the two-week suspension of Fitzgerald and calls instead for his job. He is under contract through 2030 but suddenly is facing a dark, potentially defining hour in his career.
Under threat of incoming intense scrutiny, too, are athletic director Derrick Gragg, president Michael Schill and whoever else was in the room when Fitzgerald’s initial punishment was decided. According to a source, all the key allegations in the Daily story were uncovered during the investigation and shared with Fitzgerald and his bosses.
Aside from Fitzgerald’s suspension, other measures included no more preseason practices off-campus in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and a new locker-room monitor who won’t report to Fitzgerald or his staff. In a statement released Friday, Schill called hazing ‘‘unacceptable in any form’’ and said he expected those consequences would ‘‘prevent this from ever happening again.’’
But an offseason slap on the wrist, essentially, didn’t seem to have any real teeth. Late Saturday, Schill changed his tune with a statement in which he said, “Upon reflection, I believe I may have erred in weighing the appropriate sanction for Coach Fitzgerald.”
The Sun-Times received a text late Saturday of a letter signed by ‘‘The ENTIRE Northwestern Football Team.’’ It came from the number of a former player and staffer under Fitzgerald who said it was ‘‘written by team leaders’’ in collaboration with teammates via Zoom and group messaging.
‘‘We do not tolerate hazing in any form,’’ the letter stated. ‘‘Hazing goes against our values of respect, integrity, and personal growth. We are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. . . .
‘‘The [allegations] have been exaggerated and twisted into lies. These fabrications have been made with the intention of harming our program and tarnish the reputation of our dedicated players and coaching staff. . . .
‘‘It is crucial to note that [Fitzgerald] was not involved in any of the alleged incidents in any way, shape, or form. [He] had no knowledge of these allegations until they were brought to his attention during the investigation.’’
Fitzgerald’s agent, Bryan Harlan, told the Sun-Times that Fitzgerald has ‘‘taken all allegations seriously and responded to them, and his response is his response.’’
In a text, Fitzgerald deferred to Harlan before ending, ‘‘Have a great weekend! GO CATS!’’
