(U-WIRE) WASHINGTON – In spite of a report that members of the suspended Duke University men’s lacrosse team might transfer to Georgetown to play for the lacrosse team next spring, a Georgetown official said that no transfer applications have been filed by Duke lacrosse players.
According to a report in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Georgetown men’s lacrosse coach Dave Urick has been working with Georgetown’s admissions office to admit as many as three Duke players for the 2006-2007 academic year. Georgetown University spokesman Erik Smulson, however, said that the university has not been recruiting any of the Duke athletes.
Urick could not be reached for comment, and Mex Carey, Georgetown’s sports information director, said that the university can make no comment at this time.
Duke President Richard Brodhead cancelled the men’s lacrosse season after allegations surfaced last month that members of the team had raped a woman at a party. The program’s status remains undecided for future seasons.
On April 18, Duke players Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty were indicted on rape charges stemming from the allegations of a woman who said she was raped at a March 13 party at which members of the team were present.
Finnerty was also charged with assault in the District of Columbia last week following his arrest in December for punching a man on Wisconsin Avenue. Georgetown lacrosse player Dan D’Agnes and Providence College student Patrick Bonnano were also arrested in that incident.
Art Chase, Duke’s sports information director, said that all recruits have been released from their letters of intent and are free to explore opportunities at other universities. He said should the players wish to remain at Duke, the university will honor any scholarships committed to them by former men’s lacrosse head coach Mike Pressler, who resigned after the rape allegations arose.
Chase said that a committee has been assembled to examine the school’s lacrosse program and will report back to Brodhead to determine the future of lacrosse at Duke. A press release issued earlier this month said that separate committees had been asked to examine the culture of the lacrosse team, investigate the university administration’s response to the allegations and examine the student judicial process.
According to the article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Duke Athletic Director Chris Kennedy said that the committees might ultimately recommend the permanent disbanding of the program.
-The Georgetown Hoya via UWIRE