REPORT: Northwestern Nearing Settlements for Football Hazing Lawsuits

The university is settling with student athletes, but not former head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Oct 5, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; The Northwestern Wildcats take the field against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Part of a nearly two-year hazing saga appears to be coming to a close.

On Monday night, WGN News' Eli Ong reported that Northwestern was nearing a settlement in a lawsuit filed by student athletes against the school and former head football coach Pat Fitzgerald. The suit was related to a 2023 hazing scandal that rocked the university and came separately from Fitzgerald's wrongful termination lawsuit against Northwestern, which is expected to go to trial.

The reports were confirmed on Tuesday morning by ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, who claimed the university was in the process of finalizing the lawsuit with the students.

"In a court filing, Northwestern says it has identified 40 student plaintiffs — and other ex-athletes with 'information related to the hazing and other conduct' — to be witnesses in its defense against Fitzgerald," Rittenberg said. "The students' attorneys identified 81 players with information."

The university filed a motion to dismiss Fitzgerald's $130 million wrongful termination lawsuit, but it was denied. The trial for Fitzgerald's case against Northwestern is set for November 3. Fitzgerald's lawyers said that the school attempted to postpone the hearing until March in a statement released to college football writer Matt Fortuna.

Fitzgerald served as the head coach at his alma mater from 2006 until 2023, when he was fired amid an investigation into the team's culture and alleged hazing practices. Northwestern's all-time football wins leader was initially suspended, then fired following public backlash. Fitzgerald and his lawyers still claim that the coach committed no wrongdoing, saying Northwestern "illegally terminated his employment" and "violated an oral contract."

David Braun was named the interim head coach following Fitzgerald's dismissal. In his two seasons at the helm, the former defensive coordinator led the Wildcats to an 8-5 record and a Las Vegas Bowl win in 2023 and a 4-8 record in 2024.