What exactly is going on in the Big Ten the last few years. Earlier this week, yet another Nebraska Cornhuskers conference rival school announced it had gotten into some serious legal hot water.
This time, the Big Ten rival is Rutgers, who dismissed its athletic director earlier in August rather abruptly. Perhaps the biggest sign that something was amiss was that it didn’t appear as though many Scarlet Knights fans were all that surprised.
No long after Pat Hobbs was dismissed from his position, reports started circulating that the school opened an inquiry into a possible “inappropriate, consensual relationship.” The investigation is believed to have been the catalyst to Hobbs’ resignation.
Current New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy confirmed an “internal investigation” Friday. The state goverment is involved because Rutgers is a state school like the Nebraska Cornhuskers and directly answerable to Murphy and the legislature.
Nebraska Cornhuskers rival finds itself in legal hot water
According to NJ Advance Media, there are also reported complaints within the gymnastics program. Governor Murphy said the inquiry is from “the highest levels” of Rutgers’ administration.
For his part, Hobbs has cited health issues as the reason he stepped down as the Nebraska Cornhuskers rival athletic director. In his announcement on August 16, Hobbs sent out a letter regarding his decision to step down. He cited a recent appointment with his cardiac doctors, which factored into the decision.
The departure is a major one mainly because Hobbs played a major part in Rutgers even becoming a Nebraska Cornhuskers rival as he spearheaded the Scarlet Knights’ move to the Big Ten.