The president of the University of Iowa says he will go forward with an investigation into allegations by a football recruit — even though that recruit has now changed his story. Quarterback Nick Patton told the Manhattan Mercury newspaper he thought the U-of-I had provided a woman to have sex with him during a visit to campus. Patton has since said the relationship with the woman was not related to the football program. University president David Skorton says he’ll still have a deputy in the Iowa Attorney General’s office investigate. Skorton says while the news coverage has changed in the last 24-hours, he still feels the need to carry through with an investigation because there are multiple versions of what the person said. Skorton says the investigation will hopefully put the issue to rest. The U-of-I president says both the integrity and the reputation of the program are at stake and he says he doesn’t want to base a decision on anything other than an independent investigation. Skorton has asked Deputy Attorney General Douglas Marek to conduct the investigation. Skorton says he anticipates “this is going to be a quick process…and I think that we’ll be able to run this to ground in short order.” The allegations come on the heels of much-publicized problems at the University of Colorado with its football recruits. Skorton was asked how Patton’s published allegations will impact the university’s image and standing. Skorton says it depends on how they handle it. He says if they do it in a forthright, transparent matter, he’s confident the football program and university will come out in a positive way. He also reiterated that he’s had a very positive history with the athletic department and is very proud of their integrity through the years. Skorton says Marek will file a report with him when he’s done with the investigation, and Skorton says he’ll release the results of that report to the public.
