by The New Mexico State basketball team was suspended for the remainder of the season due to multiple allegations of hazing against multiple players.
The suspension came after New Mexico State Chancellor Dan Arvizu announced the campus police report on Sunday that charged several staff members with disruptive behavior toward another player. By Yahoo Sports:
Campus police released a redacted report Sunday that alleges three members of the squad falsely arrested, harassed and made sexual contact with another player since last summer, according to KTSM.
Aggies head coach Greg Heiar and his entire coaching staff were also placed on paid administrative leave.
While no criminal charges have yet been filed, the report said the victim claims three players “held him face down, took off his clothes exposing his buttocks and proceeded to ‘beat his ass.’ He also stated that they also touched his scrotum.
The New Mexico State Aggies logo on a pair of shorts during the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game against the Connecticut Huskies at the KeyBank Center on March 17, 2022, in Buffalo, New York. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The victim also said that this incident happened in front of other players and that he “had no choice but to let this happen because it’s a 3-on-1 type of situation.”
“This action is clearly needed, especially after receiving additional facts and reviewing investigative reports relating to allegations of hazing involving student-athletes on the team,” Arvizu said in a statement. “Hazing has no place on our campus, and those responsible will be held accountable for their actions. We must defend the safety of our students and the integrity of our university. It’s time for this program to restart. I spoke with Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Brian Thornton earlier today and informed him of this decision.”
The New Mexico State Aggies went 9-15 and ranked 13th in the Western Athletic Conference. According to KTSM, “an exodus from the NMSU program continued on Sunday due to the new allegations of hazing.”
Teddy Allen #0 and Johnny McCants #35 of the New Mexico State Aggies talk during their 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second-round game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at the KeyBank Center on March 19, 2022, in Buffalo, New York. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
“Guard Kyle Feit announced his departure from the team on Sunday, joining two players who announced on Saturday that they were leaving after the team returned to Las Cruces from California,” the report added.
