Half of college football roster disciplined for hazing incident

The University of San Diego is disciplining half of its football roster following a preseason hazing incident, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The Union-Tribune reported on Tuesday that school president James T. Harris III told his staff in a letter that approximately half of the roster was either an active or passive participant in a hazing incident that directly went against the school's no hazing policy. As a result, those players will receive varying punishments, some of which will be "indefinite game suspensions."

The University of San Diego is a non-scholarship program that plays in the Pioneer League.

It is scheduled to open its season on Saturday against Cal Poly, a game that is expected to go on as expected despite the punishments. 

It is not yet know how many players will miss the game and how many of them are starters.

Here is a part of the letter Harris wrote to his staff, via the Union-Tribune:

“I write to you today to share the deeply disturbing news that members of the USD football program have been accused of violating the university’s no-hazing policy,” Harris wrote. “I wish to commend the courageous young men who truthfully recounted what had transpired. They represent the high character and integrity we hope to see in our students.”

The program has 89 players on its football roster. Assuming half of them are suspended, that would leave the team with roughly 43-46 players for Saturday's game.

Specifics of the hazing incident are not known, but the Union-Tribune reported that it is not believed that anybody was physically harmed. 

The coaching staff and school president first became aware of the hazing allegations on Aug. 18 and immediately began an investigation. 

Hazing in college football became a major story over the summer when Northwestern University was at the center of a scandal that ultimately cost long-time head coach Pat Fitzgerald his head coaching job.