Rutgers acknowledges investigating football coach Flood, but stays mum

Rutgers University told New Jersey 101.5 Tuesday afternoon it is indeed investigating whether football coach Kyle Flood violated school or NCAA rules by contacting a faculty member about the academic status of a player.

NJ.com first reported Tuesday that the school's office of general counsel was investigating the severity of the alleged violations, citing unnamed sources — but the school hadn't acknowledged the inquiry at that time.

"We can confirm that the Rutgers University Office of Ethics and Compliance initiated an investigation with the assistance of outside counsel when this matter was first brought to our attention a little more than one week ago," University spokesman E.J. Miranda said in an email to New Jersey 101.5.

Miranda said the school wouldn't address the matter further until the investigation is concluded.

"Nobody told me that there is an investigation at this point, but I'll cooperate with whatever process the university has," The Associated Press quotes Flood saying after practice Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Flood called the NJ.com story "disappointing" and said it "not only insults my integrity but it insults the integrity of our faculty," the AP reported.

It notes Flood could be in violation of NCAA rules regarding extra benefits and also university rules by communicating with faculty member about a players' course work. He could face a possible NCAA suspension or dismissal by Rutgers.