Multiple Northwestern recruits decommit after Fitzgerald's firing over hazing scandal
EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS) – The ripple effects of Pat Fitzgerald's firing as head coach of the Northwestern football team continued on Wednesday due to a hazing scandal.
Multiple players have been decommitting to play for the program, and current students are asking why school leaders have not answered questions about the situation.
CBS 2's Chris Tye has been on the story all week.
Northwestern recruits who had eyes on playing football at Ryan Field have been scrapping those plans. Existing players may not be far behind as the dust only began to settle this week on what the future of a Fitzgerald-free program will look like.
Within an hour of each other on Tuesday night, two players who had committed to play for Northwestern in the fall of 2024 reversed course.
Offensive lineman Julius Tate from South Carolina and Payton Stewart of Washington state announced their decommitments from the program. Those were the first signs that Fitzgerald's firing will have long-lasting effects.
First I Would Like To Say Thank You To The Entire Staff At The University Of Northwestern. Thank You For Giving Me The Opportunity and Believing Me.
— Julius (LB) Tate (@JuliusTate9) July 12, 2023
With That Being Said I Will Re-assess My Collegiate Decision and Hurts To Say I Will Be Decommitting From Northwestern University. pic.twitter.com/MZrzpBmBUm
New beginnings. @RealMG96 @adamgorney @BrandonHuffman @TFordFSP @BlakeBentz @Stephan68717893 pic.twitter.com/JmJ7laiX6u
— Payton Stewart (@payton_stewart0) July 12, 2023
"I would expect there will be more decommitments from NU," said David Cobb, who covers college football for CBS Sports.
Future recruits are just the beginning, Cobb said. Within weeks, players already on the team may use Fitzgerald's firing to seek opportunities elsewhere.
"I'm surprised we haven't seen more players on their current roster choose to enter the portal," Cobb said. "Because when there is a coaching change, there is a 30-day window open to allow you to enter the portal and be eligible immediately [to play] this upcoming season."
Northwestern students said they were surprised at how quiet school leaders have been, from President Michael Schill to athletic director Derrick Gragg. In the five days since the story broke, leaders have met with the football team, but have yet to take questions from the news media or the student body. Instead, the school issued a series of written statements.
"My opinion is they were looking for the situation to die down as these couple days have drawn out and that has become more and more clear that strategy has not worked," said Ignacio Dowling, an Northwestern junior. "I think it is becoming more and more of a fumble."
In an online op-ed for Inside NU, Dowling said it's time for them to change course.
"There has been an admin fumble on the admin side for staying silent as this gets worse and worse," Dowling said.
CBS 2 has repeatedly asked if there will be an opportunity to question the school leaders. The university's communications team has not replied.
"You would think a leader of a university would want to stand in front of alumni and the student body and answer the hard questions," said Cobb. "It's a crossroads moment for the program in many ways."
Players leaving is one part of the problem for the football program. The trick may be finding players to replace them.
Northwestern has some of the highest academic standards in all of college sports and depending on how many players leave this fall or decommit down the road, the reality may start to set in for what challenges await the program.