University Of San Diego Disciplining Half Its Football Team Resulting From Investigation Into Hazing Allegations

University of San Diego is disciplining 'approximately half the football team' because of an ongoing investigation into hazing allegations, according to multiple reports.

According to San Diego president James T. Harris III, the school launched an investigation into hazing activities, after first-year head coach Brandon Moore informed the school of the alleged violations. On Aug. 18, Moore reported the allegations and within hours, the school had suspended all football activities.

San Diego plays in the Pioneer Football League, which is NCAA I-AA division.

The investigation was performed by the school, along with the office of public safety, who then forwarded the initial results to the police department. The San Diego Tribune reported that the letter sent from President Harris pointed out that half of the football team is being punished in some manner.

"As a result of this investigation,” President Harris wrote, “approximately half the football team, who were either active or passive participants, will face varying degrees of disciplinary action. … These initial disciplinary actions relate only to athletics participation. Since all USD students are held accountable to the USD Student Code of Conduct, further disciplinary action could ensue.”

University of San Diego will be without half its football team for their game against Cal Poly on Saturday.Courtesy of University of San Diego

Saturday's game is scheduled to take place on the road at Cal Poly, and the football team has no intentions of forfeiting. Head coach Brandon Moore will play with the guys not suspended, who are also not on scholarship, as San Diego doesn't offer them.

It should be noted that the school does not believe any of the players were physically hurt during the hazing incident. The school has not released any type of information that describes the hazing incident and just recently allowed players not involved in the incident to resume football activities.

Northwestern Put A Major Spotlight On Hazing, San Diego Follows

The college football world is reacting to the firing of Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald in the wake of hazing allegations at the school. After the student newspaper put a spotlight on the football program following the school giving Fitzgerald a slap on the wrist on a Friday, they fired him just three days later.

Northwestern President Michael Schill acknowledged that he took a second look into the allegations, after first only suspending Fitzgerald for two weeks. Schill released a statement in conjunction with the firing of Fitzgerald that described the hazing as 'systematic', with a number of former players coming forward.

“During the investigation, eleven current or former football student-athletes acknowledged that hazing has been ongoing within the football program. In new media reporting today, still more former Northwestern football student-athletes confirmed that hazing was systemic dating back many years. This has never been about one former student-athlete and his motives; this is much bigger than that.”

At San Diego University, the school has made it clear that they take allegations of hazing serious and is now cooperating with local police, along with outside counsel.

We will wait to see where this goes from here, but it will be interesting to watch how many players actually take the field for San Diego this Saturday.