Bowling Green State University’s men’s NCAA DI hockey team, a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), faces a tougher than expected start to the season. On Monday, September 18th, the University placed head coach Ty Eiger on administrative leave and suspended three players on an interim basis pending a full investigation of an alleged hazing incident at an off campus gathering.[1] Assistant coach Curtis Carr has taken over on an interim basis. The University acted swiftly, stating that “immediately upon receiving a report of alleged hazing, the university notified local law enforcement and initiated its own investigation.”[2]
Bowling Green’s decisive response and immediate involvement of law enforcement is likely motivated, in part, by the university’s recent history facing liability for hazing incidents. The university recently settled a lawsuit for nearly $3 million with the family of a student who died as the result of a fraternity hazing incident.[3] On March 4, 2021, Stone Foltz, a pledge of the Delta Beta Chapter of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, was left unconscious at his apartment after drinking a liter of bourbon during an initiation event. Foltz died three days later after being placed on life support.[4] For its part, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association has issued a statement that, “The CCHA stands behind our student-athletes and condemns any form of hazing or abuse.”[5] CCHA Commissioner Don Lucia went on to say, “I have complete confidence in Bowling Green’s unbiased investigation and the league will withhold further comment until the investigation is complete.”[6]
The alleged hazing incident on the Bowling Green hockey team is a rare case of, apparently, a prominent member of the team himself coming forward to the school. Forward Austen Swankler, an all-CCHA First Team player who led the CCHA in points (32) and assists (19) in 2022-23 in twenty-six conference games, entered the transfer portal the same day as the hazing allegations and related suspensions came out.[7] On Friday, September 22nd, Swankler came forward in a series of posts on X explaining that he had left the program because he was a victim of hazing. He posted, “I entered the portal due to incidents here at BGSU where I was a victim.”[8] He also refuted allegations within the hockey community that he was leaving the team because of issues related to selling stolen team equipment and had fabricated the hazing allegations or was one of the players perpetrating the hazing. Swankler posted, “to clear the air I don’t want my name to be put through the mud. I never stole anything and sold anything of the teams. So any comment on social media or going around the hockey world is a lie. I left due to cultural issues here and my values.”[9]
A full investigation will likely uncover where the truth lies but, given that Swankler was quickly picked up by Michigan Tech’s hockey program, it seems likely that allegations of theft are no more than rumor. Michigan Tech’s program confirmed on Monday the 25th that Swankler is joining the program and will be eligible to compete in the spring.[10]
While the NCAA does allow special exceptions for student athletes seeking immediate transfer eligibility, and being a victim of hazing would seem to warrant an exception, as of now Michigan Tech has not indicated that they will seek immediate eligibility for Swankler.[11] In an age of increasing NCAA athlete empowerment, including ongoing unionization efforts and pushes to further expand NIL opportunities, it is interesting to see a situation in which agency on the part of a player appears to have prompted a university to formally investigate a program and his own teammates. Athletic programs, and schools in general, have done an increasingly good job of recognizing and attempting to mitigate the risks – both legal and potentially literally life threatening – that hazing poses to NCAA teams, so it is good to see Bowling Green take allegations seriously.
It is also interesting to note that under current NCAA amateurism eligibility rules, Austen Swankler should not be playing NCAA DI hockey anywhere. Swankler initially committed to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2017, before decommitting and committing to Michigan, but three months later ultimately chose the major junior route with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).[12] He had 45 points (18G, 27A) with Erie in 59 games during the 2019-20 season before COVID shut the league down the following season. The NCAA currently designates the OHL as a professional league because players receive stipends and are allowed to play in the league after signing professional contracts at the NHL level. Swankler put in a request to the NCAA to be granted eligibility to join an NCAA team for the 2021-22 season and, according to all reports, benefited from a simple clerical error. Someone at the NCAA did not notice that he played for Erie prior to COVID. While probably a one off and not indicative of a policy shift, the NCAA, upon being alerted to the error, decided to let him remain eligible and chose not to enforce a rule that is under increasing scrutiny given the blurring of the lines between amateur and professional athletes in the age of NIL. [13]
At present, there are no updates from Bowling Green on their internal investigation of the alleged hazing or from law enforcement.
[1] https://www.therinklive.com/mens-college/ccha/bowling-green-state-suspends-coach-three-players-for-alleged-off-campus-hazing-incident
[2] Id.
[3] https://www.nbc4i.com/sports/college-sports/ohio-college-hockey-coach-put-on-leave-and-3-players-suspended-amid-hazing-investigation/
[4] Id.
[5] https://www.therinklive.com/mens-college/ccha/bowling-green-state-suspends-coach-three-players-for-alleged-off-campus-hazing-incident
[6] Id.
[7] https://www.therinklive.com/mens-college/ccha/report-ccha-preseason-player-of-the-year-austen-swankler-enters-transfer-portal
[8] https://x.com/austenswankler/status/1705316305836925135?s=20
[9] https://x.com/austenswankler/status/1705316210106097937?s=20
[10] https://www.therinklive.com/mens-college/ccha/forward-austen-swankler-announces-intent-to-transfer-to-michigan-tech
[11] Id.
[12] https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2023/01/13_Bowling-Greens-Swankler-.php
[13] Id.
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