Cornell’s men’s lightweight rowing team is on probation through spring 2029 after an internal review determined that team members engaged in hazing of newcomers during the 2025–26 academic year.
The university’s published finding describes conduct between August 2025 and January 2026 involving degrading presentations, an alcohol-related basement activity and pressure on newcomers during a training trip. An unnamed team member has denied the account, calling the allegations “unreal” and “absolute lies” in an interview with The Cornell Daily Sun.
Cornell Athletics began its investigation on 4 February, completed it on 4 March and provided the outcome to the team on 10 March. The finding was made under Cornell’s Student-Athlete Rights and Responsibilities.
Cornell’s findings and sanctions
According to the report, first-year rowers and pairs of newcomers were required to present on assigned humorous topics that became degrading and insulting.
The university also determined that new team members were kept “in a basement and directed them to consume a concoction of alcohol and miscellaneous substances” and were then allegedly blindfolded and subjected to humiliating language and behaviour.
During a training trip, newcomers were pushed to take part nude in races, the report said. They were also required, according to the report, to join a group-sharing exercise involving personal and degrading information about themselves or other people.
Athletic director Nicki Moore initially suspended the entire team on 4 February. The crew did not compete at the National Collegiate Lightweight Invitational, which had been scheduled as its season opener. The unnamed rower also told The Sun that six athletes were held out of the Matthews Trophy and Leonard Cup races.
After 34 days, Cornell permitted most rowers to begin a phased return to training, with competition delayed until the programme met its initial education and culture requirements. The three-year probation means further hazing, another major policy breach or failure to complete the corrective work could bring additional restrictions.
The programme must complete bystander-intervention and hazing-prevention education, conflict-resolution work, external culture development and written commitments to behavioural standards. Dr Greg Shelley, Cornell’s director of sports leadership and mental conditioning, has run workshops covering team values, expected conduct and accountability.
Cornell also ordered a revised student-athlete leadership structure and further development for student-athlete leaders. The required programme includes joint captains leadership sessions, asynchronous alcohol education and a hazing workshop before the 2026–27 academic year.
Individual sanctions included dismissals from the team, competition suspensions and restrictions on leadership roles. Cornell’s report does not identify the affected rowers or give the number receiving each sanction.
Rower rejects the university’s account
The team member interviewed by The Sun denied all the conduct described in Cornell’s finding. He said the presentations were intended to help teammates learn about first-year rowers and that upperclassmen made participation optional.
He offered a different account of the basement activity, saying newcomers were blindfolded and sorted into Hogwarts houses before upperclassmen danced with their respective groups. He said the exercise was meant to split a large first-year class into smaller groups so teammates could get to know one another, and denied that newcomers had to drink alcohol or other substances.
“The wording is very telling of either they don’t actually know what happened or they are just ignorant, and to me, I don’t even know which one is worse,” he said, reportedly.
The Sun said Cornell did not immediately answer questions about how the investigation was conducted or the rower’s denial. The university report records Athletics’ findings and sanctions, but does not set out the evidence considered or responses provided by team members.
The rower said both captains and several other upperclassmen were dismissed immediately. He also said most of the remaining juniors and seniors quit because they no longer wanted to be part of the programme. Cornell has not publicly confirmed those numbers.
Nase leaves for Penn
The investigation and sanctions were followed by a change in the coaching staff. Cornell announced head coach Tyler Nase’s resignation on 13 July and said they had begun a national search for his successor. The university did not state that his departure was connected to the hazing finding.
Four days later, Penn appointed Nase as its head women’s rowing coach. The Rio 2016 Olympian had led Cornell’s lightweight men after five seasons as an assistant with Penn’s lightweight programme.
