Former Northwestern athletics director and current ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips denied being aware of the hazing allegations that have rocked the university and college sports, saying in a statement Thursday, "I will vigorously defend myself against any suggestion to the contrary."
The school's athletics director from 2008-21 before leaving for the ACC, Phillips has been named as a defendant in two separate lawsuits filed this week on behalf of anonymous former Northwestern players who allege longstanding misconduct in the form of hazing and sexual abuse.
"This has been a difficult time for the Northwestern community, a place that my entire family called home," Phillips said in his statement.