Northwestern released a statement following news that the program settled a $130 million lawsuit brought by former linebacker and head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The school fired Fitzgerald in 2023 amid a hazing scandal that involved physical and sexual abuse.
The terms of the settlement were not revealed.
Northwestern released a statement on the settlement
Per a statement from the Wildcats posted on X by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, no discovery was found that Fitzgerald directed or condoned hazing. The school “appreciates” Fitzgerald’s contributions on the gridiron.
“While the litigation brought to light highly inappropriate conduct in the football program and the harm it caused, the evidence uncovered during extensive discovery did not establish that any player reported hazing to Coach Fitzgerald or that Coach Fitzgerald condoned or directed any hazing,” the school wrote. “Moreover, when presented with the details of the conduct, he was incredibly upset and saddened by the negative impact this conduct had on players within the program.
“Northwestern appreciates Coach Fitzgerald’s 26 years as a Northwestern player and coach. Northwestern is proud of Coach Fitzgerald’s teams’ success on the field as well as it success in the classroom. Northwestern football had the highest graduation rate of any Division 1 football program from 2016-2022.”
Northwestern statement on the settlement with former coach Pat Fitzgerald, notes that the evidence established no player reported hazing to Fitzgerald, nor did he condone or direct any hazing. pic.twitter.com/InH9ZBmcxc
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) August 21, 2025
The program wished Fitzgerald the best in resuming his football career.
Pat Fitzgerald was a highly successful coach on the field
The Wildcats went 110-101 during Fitzgerald’s 17 seasons, and earned four of the program’s five 10-win seasons. He went 5-5 in bowl games. Since he was fired, Fitzgerald has been a volunteer assistant for Loyola Academy in Illinois..
The program stated that the health and safety of the community was its number one goal, and are taking steps to make sure hazing does not happen again.
“The University has taken action to ensure hazing will not occur again, including new training and additional steps for feedback and reporting,” per the statement.
For More Chicago Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks
Illinois football coach Bret Bielema suggests Georgia might have tampered with star RB
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
