CHICAGO — Repercussions from Northwestern University’s football hazing scandal have thrown the Big Ten school’s athletic department into upheaval in just a matter of days, spurring leadership shake-ups, football recruits decommitting from the team and concerns over possible legal action.
Yet the long-term ramifications of the public relations crisis remain to be seen — from potentially marring the reputation of the prestigious research university to galvanizing opposition against a planned $800 million football stadium rebuild in the wake of so much athletic program controversy.
“I’d like to think this will not hurt our academics reputation. But it’s concerning,” said Ceci Rodgers, Northwestern’s faculty senate president. “The question it could raise in prospective students’ parents’ minds is, does this university respond adequately to concerns or allegations that impact the safety of my child, not just the athletic students, but all students?”
