Former Minnesota football players described coach P.J. Fleck's program as a "cult" to Front Office Sports, alleging the program's culture is "fraught with intimidation and toxicity." Among the allegations are that Fleck interfered with medical protocols by seeking for injured players to return earlier than anticipated and by "minimizing the seriousness of some pretty horrendous injuries," according to one player quoted by FOS.
The story also details a system devised by Fleck called the "Fleck Bank," in which players could rack up goodwill to circumvent the repercussions of failed drug tests and other violations.
Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle voiced his support for Fleck's program in a statement to Front Office Sports.
"P.J. and our program are unique," Coyle said. "They put themselves out there in new and different ways — but always in a first-class manner — and after nearly seven years, it is clear to me, that is what makes P.J. and our program so successful."
In 2018, CBS Sports obtained a memorandum in which a former employee warned the Minnesota board of regents of a toxic culture within the program. The person said if "issues … continue to go unaddressed and things do not change, the health and welfare of student-athletes at the University of Minnesota are in jeopardy."
The former employee alleged Minnesota medical staffers illegally prescribed Toradol, a powerful anti-inflammatory that reduces pain. The ex-staffer also alleged the school's athletic medical team violated NCAA Independent Medical Care best practices.
A subsequent investigation by Husch Blackwell, a well-known independent firm, was spurred by the concerns raised in that memorandum. The investigation largely exonerated those accused of improper conduct while crediting Minnesota's athletic training staff for best practices.
WCCO, the CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, ran a series of stories in May 2021 alleging mistreatment of Minnesota players under Fleck.
Fleck was hired in 2017 after the program fired former coach Tracy Claeys amid public outcry for his ouster. Ten Minnesota players were suspended ahead of the bowl game following the 2016 season in relation to a sexual assault investigation. Players on the team staged a boycott in response but later returned for the Holiday Bowl against Washington State. .
Fleck is entering his seventh season at Minnesota with a 44-27 (26-26 Big Ten record) after four seasons as Western Michigan coach.
Fleck is scheduled to take the main podium at Big Ten Media Days on Thursday inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, at 11:30 a.m. ET. Wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell, defensive back Tyler Nubin and tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford are also representing Minnesota at the event.
Minnesota now joins a growing list of Big Ten programs embroiled in controversy over the past few seasons. Iowa settled a racial discrimination lawsuit brought against the program in March; Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is facing a four-game suspension to begin the 2023 season for allegedly lying to NCAA investigators; and Northwestern is currently dealing with the fallout from the hazing scandal that's rocked the university and led to the firing of longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald.
