Sports

Steph Houghton spoke from the heart – why have people been so quick to judge or condemn?

Published

3 days ago

November 9, 2024

Steph Houghton spoke from the heart – why have people been so quick to judge or condemn?

It feels like we’ve seen more of Steph Houghton since she’s retired. Not literally — although maybe her burgeoning media career means she is more visible to rival fans who would only glimpse her twice a season — but in a deeper, more human sense.

Houghton’s interactions with the media were always cordial and insightful, but you got the sense there was more under the surface.

In recent months, Houghton has emerged from her shell to become a more candid, forthright voice. Consequently, it’s easier to glimpse the leader who not only represented Manchester City and England with distinction but transformed the women’s game along the way.

Even more so in her memoir, Leading From The Back: My Journey to the Top of Women’s Football, out this week. In it, Houghton lays bare her role as off-field leader, chiefly in her negotiations with the Football Association over contracts and bonuses.

Houghton’s England teams had it better than their predecessors but did not have the luxury, for instance, of direct or business class flights home from the World Cup in Canada in 2015, where they won bronze. They played in the Women’s Super League (WSL) four days later. The most moving chapters are on Houghton’s husband, the former footballer Stephen Darby, and his 2018 motor neurone disease diagnosis, of plans derailed and a player forced to choose between family and football.

There is doubtless a vulnerability and discomfort in drawing back the curtain, if a catharsis, too. As Houghton put it to Ian Wright on Crossways, their shared podcast, she wanted the book to be raw and real. “Sometimes people just see us as footballers, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes,” she said.

This brings us to Houghton’s interview with the Guardian about the end of her England career — and, moreover, the backlash. Those who felt Houghton had spoken out of turn, and came across as entitled or bitter, were quick to let her know. (I wonder how many are newer fans of the women’s game and, unfamiliar with her career, have only ever seen Houghton in this light.)

Houghton had received a similar response to a Daily Mail interview before the 2023 World Cup. She detailed the pressure she had put on herself and how hard it had been to justify that dedication when Darby had fallen at home and been rushed to hospital while she was on the bench for a game at Aston Villa.

Houghton’s response on Friday’s podcast was to hope that people would read her feelings in their full context, in her book. Only then will they truly understand her side of the story.

I have read it. I don’t think she came across as entitled or bitter. Rather, as Houghton told of the demise of her England career, all that came through was sadness. Houghton played her final game for England against the Republic of Ireland in a behind-closed-doors match at St George’s Park. Compare that to Jill Scott and Ellen White’s final bows for England: winning the European Championship against Germany at Wembley.

Houghton was thrilled for them but inevitably wished she was among them. She did, at least, get a send-off at Wembley last month, leading the team out one final time, against Germany, in what might have felt like a facsimile of the Euros final — the alternate universe where Houghton has one last run of sold-out games.

Steph Houghton with the England team before their game against Germany at Wembley last month (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Houghton details the rehab programme for a torn Achilles that she undertook with England’s blessing — she recorded 10-hour days visiting a physio in Crewe — and says all parties had understood all along that she wouldn’t play for her club before the Euros in 2022. England checked in every six weeks. She made the provisional squad of 30 for the tournament. In the end, manager Sarina Wiegman’s view was that Houghton had not played enough games; the player’s view was that they knew this would be the case.

Houghton recalls her tears when she takes the phone call from Wiegman in which she learns she will no longer be England captain. “I was upset that I’d found out over the phone,” she writes. “For me, that’s a face-to-face conversation.”

I don’t disagree. Houghton never had anything against her successor Leah Williamson but was heartbroken that “the best thing (she) ever had a chance to do” was ending after eight years.

World Cup rejection hits her less hard but is still painful. She felt she had done all Wiegman asked: playing regularly for her club, winning against Chelsea and Arsenal. Wiegman offers a tactical assessment and adds that she doesn’t feel she can take anyone out of the squad for Houghton. Houghton feels like Wiegman has moved the goalposts. Wiegman delivers this news at St George’s Park, where Houghton, allegedly unbeknownst to Wiegman, had been working with Nike. There, Houghton is told she will probably never play for England while Wiegman is in charge.

“I also found myself wondering if this would have been a face-to-face conversation if I hadn’t already been at St George’s,” Houghton concludes. “The problem was more that I think she’d intended to have this conversation over the phone, and she knew she was going to tell me I wasn’t in her plans at all. I thought that called for a face-to-face conversation given the career I’d had.”

Suffice to say it is, as Houghton promised, a little more complex than some responses would have you believe.

This column isn’t about whether you would have taken Houghton to either of those tournaments or about Wiegman’s alleged handling of it all. It is about the reaction to Houghton’s pain, and the expectation we have of female footballers to expose all their vulnerabilities when the audience is not prepared to meet them with empathy.

Why does everyone find it so hard to acknowledge that Houghton was in pain — and understandably so? Her last notable act for England at a major tournament was missing a penalty against the U.S. in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup. All of it — from the injury to missing out on the Lionesses’ first major trophy — will have triggered complex emotions in a player whose 121 caps were won in such a critical period for women’s football. That is before you examine how Houghton’s personal circumstances make the stakes, in that area of her life, so much higher.

Of late, women’s football has seemed to steep itself in the idea that the sport moves forward when we hear of players’ pain in full. No varnish, no euphemisms: tell us of every horror of your rehabilitation from your anterior cruciate ligament injury, so that we can understand and make change. Tell us of your mental health struggles and your relationships — in which fans are invested — to inspire those watching. Tell us, Houghton, of what really happened with England, because after all this time, we want to know.

Many players, from the WSL’s record goalscorer Vivianne Miedema to the two-time FIFA Best women’s goalkeeper Mary Earps, have been met with understanding for expressing their vulnerabilities. Why not Houghton here?

Is it personal? The criticism of Houghton always seems to have a different kind of fire behind it — is it that her replacement was the hugely popular Williamson, so among a newer, younger, more chronically online fanbase, it is convenient to cast Houghton as a villain? On some level do we still expect sportswomen to be compliant, grateful, and magnanimous when it comes to team selection and tactics? Or simply that the minute those feelings become complex or unpalatable — too much light and shade to fit in a tweet — people don’t want to hear them? That people can’t separate a divisive subject like team selection from the human at the centre of it all?

EPISODE 7 💃 @crosswayspod
My guy helping with some context @IanWright0 ❤️ https://t.co/ttcIxyiIKU
— Steph Houghton MBE (@stephhoughton2) November 8, 2024

I don’t know, but many women’s football fans approached Houghton’s comments — and the end of her England career — with a lack of respect and understanding. Sportspeople, in particular, have devoted their lives to pushing themselves to lengths most of us would rather not, but surely most of us would have felt the same in Houghton’s position. Add in the extraordinary choices she had to make and I’m not sure how many of us would have even had it in us to keep chasing major tournaments.

We should, as a minimum, allow Houghton to give voice to her experience without being so quick to judge, dismiss or condemn.

Sport is a fundamentally human thing. You don’t have to agree with Houghton, but she’s allowed to say all this: allowed to say that it hurt and allowed to say that she wishes it all could have been different. At least let her speak. Given the ending, and the scale of her contribution, she deserves that.

(Top photo: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Click to comment

Sports

Barbora Krejcikova criticizes ‘unprofessional’ commentary, Daniil Medvedev spirals in Turin

Published

13 mins ago

November 12, 2024

Press Room

Barbora Krejcikova criticizes ‘unprofessional’ commentary, Daniil Medvedev spirals in Turin

Welcome back to the Monday Tennis Briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories from the past week on court.

This week, the first Riyadh edition of the WTA Tour Finals concluded in Saudi Arabia, with Coco Gauff defeating Zheng Qinwen in the final.

Throughout the week, the players and WTA chief executive Portia Archer have emphasized that they felt welcome and looked after in a country that criminalizes same-sex relationships and has been criticized for its human rights record, particularly regarding women. “We have never had any issues with freedom of expression,” Archer said in a news conference ahead of the tournament.

Charlie Eccleshare’s special report from Riyadh looks at the idea of tennis — and sport at large — having the power to effect change, and how conversant that idea is with the reality in the country:

GO DEEPER

‘The same people who allow women to play tennis are also torturing the activists’

Elsewhere, Barbora Krejcikova criticized what she called “unprofessional” commentary of the event, Danielle Collins and Daria Kasatkina experienced life as an alternate, a doubles partnership fell at the last and Daniil Medvedev spiralled in Turin.

If you’d like to follow our fantastic tennis coverage, click here.

What led Krejcikova to call out a commentator?

After a rough run of form through fall, world No. 10 Barbora Krejcikova got a dose of the social media abuse that is dispiritingly familiar to any tennis player who is losing matches. When someone wondered out loud on X as to how she had won Wimbledon, the Czech gave a straightforward answer: “I won seven matches in a row.”

Krejcikova, who, with that title qualified for the WTA Tour Finals — a special provision for a Grand Slam champion who finishes outside the top eight in the rankings ‘race’ but inside the top 20 — applied that logic to the event in Riyadh. After going 5-5 between Wimbledon and the start of the tournament, she took Iga Swiatek to three sets, eased past Jessica Pegula, and then beat Coco Gauff to win her group.

Krejcikova ran out of steam in the semifinals against Zheng, then found herself having to respond to some more unfavorable commentary of a completely different kind.

“You might have heard about the recent comments made on Tennis Channel during the WTA Finals coverage that focused on my appearance rather than my performance. As an athlete who has dedicated herself to this sport, it was disappointing to see this type of unprofessional commentary,” the 28-year-old wrote in a statement on X.

“This isn’t the first time something like this is happening in sports world. I’ve often chosen not to speak up, but I believe it’s time to address the need for respect and professionalism in sports media. These moments distract from the true essence of sport and the dedication all athletes bring to the field.

I love tennis deeply, and I want to see it represented in a way that honors the commitment we make to compete at this level.”

GO DEEPER

A smiling ghost of Centre Court: How Barbora Krejcikova’s title met her mentor’s legacy

Krejcikova was responding to journalist and commentator Jon Wertheim, who commented on Krejcikova’s forehead during a broadcast on Tennis Channel Friday. Wertheim is a longstanding tennis journalist and is a regular contributor to Andy Roddick’s podcast, Served, which also airs on Tennis Channel’s T2 broadcast.

pic.twitter.com/JX5mL3zYm8
— Missing 🎾 Media (@MissingTennis) November 8, 2024

Wertheim apologized Sunday in a statement on X, which he labelled “a tennis twitter apology.”

“During a Tennis Channel studio show on Friday, I made some deeply regrettable comments off-air. I acknowledge them. I apologise for them. I reached out immediately and apologised to the player,” he said.

“What happened? I joined the show by Zoom. In rehearsal we were shown a graphic of a player who had just competed. It showed her at an angle that exaggerated her forehead.

“A few moments later, I was told to frame up my Zoom. I looked at the low camera angle and joked that it made my forehead resemble the photo of the player in question. Someone in the control room chimed in and I bantered back. Though this was a private rehearsal, this exchange inadvertently, and without context, made it to live air.

“I realize: I am not the victim here. It was neither professional nor charitable nor reflective of the person I strive to be. I am accountable. I own this. I am sorry.”

He later issued a further joint apology with Roddick, shared on Served’s X account.

pic.twitter.com/gvbHGoGdKX
— Served with Andy Roddick (@Served_Podcast) November 10, 2024

Wertheim told The Athletic via email that: “Between the statement I posted and some remarks I made with Andy Roddick I don’t have much to add about this deeply regrettable situation for which I am profoundly apologetic.”

In a statement issued Sunday, Tennis Channel said that Wertheim has been removed from the air “indefinitely.”

James Hansen

What caused Daniil Medvedev to lose control at the ATP Finals?

Daniil Medvedev is one of two men’s players born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam title. He is world No. 4, a constant factor in the latter stages of the biggest events, and one of the most compelling speakers on the ATP Tour.

He’s also in a bad spot. His right shoulder has been bothering him all year, afflicting his serve, which ordinarily lets him explode through his service games to put pressure on his opponents. He’s having to play Jannik Sinner so often that their appearing in the same side of a tournament draw has become a meme, and he isn’t winning at the moment. He thinks the balls used on the tour are neutralizing his strengths and helping those of Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the players who can accelerate through slower balls enough to finish points with most aplomb.

At the ATP Tour Finals in Turin, he had had enough, both on-court and off. “I have this every day, day in, day out, since two, three years. Every practice is a struggle. Every match is a struggle. I was holding for long time. Now I feel zero pleasure of being on the court,” he said in a news conference after losing in straight sets to Taylor Fritz on November 10.

Daniil Medvedev has had a testing 12 months (Antonio Calanni / Associated Press)

That lack of pleasure devolved into the absurd, with Medvedev throwing his racket into the air, feigning that he could not hang on to it, and preparing to return serve with his racket handle after Fritz shanked a lucky lob onto the baseline to break in the second set. Medvedev, who is known for his ability to up the frequency of long rallies in return games and steal the marginal advantage it offers the returner against the server, said his fight had left him.

“I’m tired to fight against something that doesn’t depend on myself,” he said, referring to the balls.

“Every match I come, I know that basically I have to hit whatever. It doesn’t matter. Tactics matter less,” he said.

Medvedev will face Alex de Minaur and then Sinner as he bids to qualify for the semifinals. He isn’t all that bothered if this is the end of his season.

James Hansen

What’s it like to be an alternate?

It was a tale of two alternates at the WTA Finals last week — one who got to play and one who didn’t.

In one of tennis’ strangest roles, it is reserved for the end-of-year finals on the men’s and women’s tours. The two players ranked just below the cut-off to qualify for the WTA and ATP Tour Finals are selected as substitutes in case one of the players who has qualified has to pull out. Withdrawals are more common at these events: they are the last major tournaments of the season aside from the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. They are also played to a round-robin format, so there is the possibility for dead rubbers that players are more willing to pull out of if not feeling 100 percent.

At the WTA Finals the two alternates were Daria Kasatkina of Russia and America’s Danielle Collins. Kasatkina as the world No. 9 was the first alternate and was duly called off the bench when Pegula pulled out with a knee injury on Wednesday after losing her first two matches. Kasatkina’s reward was a match against world No. 2 Iga Swiatek with only a day’s notice. She lost 6-1, 6-0 in 51 minutes.

Afterwards, a shellshocked Kasatkina spoke of the challenge of the alternate role.

“It’s more difficult than it seems. You have to be here for a week, and then suddenly you have to go and play No 2 in the world who already played two matches.

“It’s not easy to go and play from zero, being relaxed the whole week, not being in this mentality as when you play a tournament and then going to play Iga,” she said in a news conference.

Daria Kasatkina won just one game in her appearance at the WTA Tour Finals (Yuichi Yamazaki / AFP via Getty Images)

Collins probably got the better deal as a non-playing alternate. She was a late call-up after Emma Navarro — who would have been the first alternate — withdrew with illness. Collins saw the week as a chance to get into shape for the Billie Jean King Cup finals, which begins on Wednesday.

Collins, who has not played a match in more than two months, said she hoped her role as an alternate would be a good bridge to playing competitively again at the BJK Cup. “It’s been really nice,” she told The Athletic in an interview in Riyadh. “It’s a great opportunity to get back into tournament mode and and and get a lot of great practice, too, with all these players.”

On the day she spoke to The Athletic, Collins played a practice set with Kasatkina and said that she was essentially in her tournament routine — just without playing the matches.

Perhaps the strangest alternate role is reserved for the beaten semifinalists. Krejcikova and Aryna Sabalenka were required to stick around to ensure the final would go ahead if one of Zheng Qinwen or Gauff withdrew. Leaving early carried a fine of half their prize money from the tournament.

This week it’s Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the alternate roles, at the ATP Finals in Turin. Waiting and wondering if they’ll get the chance to step in for someone. Even if they don’t, they’ll pick up a $155,000 (£120,317) cheque for their efforts — $140,000 (£108,661) was the alternate rate in Riyadh.

Charlie Eccleshare

So close but so far for Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova?

Last week, as Sabalenka became year-end world No. 1 in singles for the first time, Katerina Siniakova achieved the same feat in doubles — for the fourth time.

Siniakova won two Grand Slam titles in 2024: the French Open with Gauff and Wimbledon with Taylor Townsend, who partnered her at the Tour Finals in Riyadh. She also won Olympic gold in mixed doubles for the Czech Republic with Tomas Machac.

Siniakova and Townsend were seeded eighth out of eight pairs in Riyadh despite being widely considered as favorites alongside Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, the Canadian and Kiwi duo who Siniakova and Townsend defeated in the Wimbledon final in July.

Both pairs stormed to the Riyadh final undefeated, with Siniakova and Townsend beating Australian Open champions Hsieh Su-Wei and Elise Mertens and U.S. Open champions Jelena Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kichenok in the group stage. After four resplendent performances, Dabrowski and Routliffe proved a bridge too far, winning in straight sets 7-5, 6-3 and lifting Dabrowski to No 3 in the world, behind Routliffe in No 2. Townsend moved up from No 9 to No 5.

Despite this defeat, Siniakova, who has been outspoken about the lack of recognition for elite doubles players compared to their singles counterparts, stands alone at the top.

Erin Routliffe (front right) and Gabriela Dabrowski celebrate victory over Katerina Siniakova (top right) and Taylor Townsend in Riyadh (Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)

James Hansen

A long wait for Denis Shapovalov?

After a five-year wait, Denis Shapovalov finally has his hands on an ATP title again — coming all the way through qualifying to claim the Belgrade Open on Sunday.

It was the Canadian’s first title since his maiden victory at the Stockholm Open in 2019, and especially significant given he was out between July 2023 and January 2024 because of a knee injury. This title lifts him 22 places to No 56 in the rankings, an important step towards the spot in the top 30 that he had before that knee injury last summer, and one that would make him seeded at the Slams (and certainly not have to qualify for 250-level events).

Denis Shapovalov is still just 25 despite being a mainstay on the ATP Tour (Darko Vojinovic / Associated Press)

Such a stylish player with a flashing single-handed backhand, it’s good news for fans of variety to have Shapovalov as a factor again, and this title was made even more special by the man handing over the trophy: the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

Shapovalov said how honored he was by Djokovic’s presence after his 6-4, 6-4 win over another Serbian, Hamad Medjedovic.

“It was super weird, because he’s normally taking trophies from us, not giving us trophies,” he said.

Next up for Shapovalov is the Davis Cup finals with Canada, which begin in Malaga a week on Tuesday. All of a sudden it feels like he could have a significant role to play.

Charlie Eccleshare

Shot(s) of the week

When doubles is good, it’s very, very good.

🏆 The winners of the week

🎾 ATP:

🏆 Denis Shapovalov (Q) def. Hamad Medjedovic (WC) 6-4, 6-4 to win the Belgrade Open (250) in Belgrade, Serbia. It is the Canadian’s second ATP Tour title.
🏆 Benjamin Bonzi (Q) def. Cameron Norrie 7-6(6), 6-4 to win the Moselle Open (250) in Metz, France. It is the Frenchman’s first ATP Tour title.

🎾 WTA:

🏆 Coco Gauff (3) def. Zheng Qinwen (7) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) to win the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is the American’s ninth WTA Tour singles title.
🏆 Gabriela Dabrowski / Erin Routliffe (2) def. Taylor Townsend / Katerina Siniakova (8) 7-5, 6-3 to win the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh. It is the duo’s second WTA Tour title.

📈📉 On the rise / Down the line

📈 Zheng Qinwen moves up two places from No. 7 to No. 5 — a new career high — after her run to the WTA Tour Finals final in Riyadh.
📈 Denis Shapovalov ascends 22 spots from No. 78 to No. 56 after winning the title in Belgrade.
📈 Barbora Krejcikova reenters the top 10 after rising three spots from No. 13 to No. 10 following her run to the semifinals in Riyadh.

📉 Adrian Mannarino falls 14 places from No. 54 to No. 68 after dropping his points from winning the 2023 Sofia Open in Bulgaria.
📉 In an illustration of how bunched players are further down the rankings, Ann Li drops six places for the loss of just 16 points, from No. 93 to No. 99.
📉 Novak Djokovic falls one spot from No. 5 to No. 6 after dropping his 1,300 points from last year’s ATP Tour Finals.

📅 Coming up

🎾 ATP

📍November 10 – 17 in Turin, Italy: ATP Tour Finals featuring Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev.

📺 UK: Sky Sports; U.S.: Tennis Channel 💻 Tennis TV

🎾 WTA

📍November 13 – 20 in Malaga, Spain: Billie Jean King Cup featuring Iga Swiatek, Danielle Collins, Emma Raducanu, Karolina Muchova.

📺 UK: BBC (for Great Britain ties); U.S.: Tennis Channel

Tell us what you noticed this week in the comments below as the men’s and women’s tours continue.

(Top photo: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)

Sports

Bears fire Shane Waldron as offensive woes continue: 'It is in the best interest of our team'

Published

43 mins ago

November 12, 2024

Press Room

Bears fire Shane Waldron as offensive woes continue: 'It is in the best interest of our team'

Amid a downward spiral, the Chicago Bears have parted ways with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron in hopes of rebooting one of the worst offenses in the NFL.

Waldron was fired Tuesday after just nine games with the Bears. He was hired in January to replace Luke Getsy, who was fired in November 2023 after just two seasons with the team.

Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron walks the sideline during the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, New York, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, file)

“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense. This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully,” head coach Matt Eberflus said in a statement announcing the decision.

“I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.”

Offensive passing game coordinator Thomas Brown will take over, Eberflus added.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is sacked by New England Patriots safety Marte Mapu in the closing moments of the Patriots’ 19-3 win in an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

BEARS COACH MATT EBERFLUS EXPLAINS WHY STAR PLAYER WALKED OFF FIELD MID-PLAY

“Thomas is a bright offensive mind who has experience calling plays with a collaborative mindset. I look forward to his leadership over our offensive coaching staff and his plan for our players.”

Waldron’s firing comes amid a three-game slide, which included a brutal 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams sits on the bench in the closing minutes of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The Bears (4-5) rank 30th in the NFL in total offense and 24th in scoring, and have gone back-to-back games without a touchdown since scoring in the final minute at Washington in Week 8.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Sports

USC football placed on probation for violating NCAA coaching staff rules

Published

1 hour ago

November 12, 2024

Press Room

USC football placed on probation for violating NCAA coaching staff rules

The USC football program has been put on probation for one year after the NCAA found the Trojans violated rules restricting the number of analysts allowed to be engaged in on- and off-field coaching activities during the 2022 season and spring of 2023.

The NCAA found that USC exceeded the allowed number of countable coaches by six during a two-year period.

The NCAA also found that USC coach Lincoln Riley was presumed responsible for the program committing the violations.

In January 2023, the NCAA changed the rules restricting the number of coaches on a staff and their duties. According to an NCAA news release, Riley “rebutted his presumed responsibility for the violations occurring before the rules change.”

Riley will not be suspended as part of the violations. But in addition to being placed on probation, USC was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.

“Since learning of potential violations related to our football program in May 2023, USC has worked cooperatively with the NCAA enforcement staff and with the Committee on Infractions, as we identified and acknowledged violations, issued corrective measures, and submitted a negotiated resolution in a timely fashion that was approved by the Committee,” USC athletic director Jen Cohen said in a statement. “We remain committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical behavior and integrity in our athletic programs.”