Nihon University has has again indefinitely suspended its American football team and closed its dormitory over the suspected of possession of cannabis by more team members.
A team member was arrested for alleged possession of cannabis and an illegal stimulant on Aug. 5 following a police search of the football team’s dormitory in Tokyo.
The university then ordered the team to suspend practice indefinitely but said on Aug. 10 that it had lifted the suspension as “many students’ efforts will come to nothing if they are forced to assume collective responsibility.”
Tokyo police searched the dormitory again on Aug. 22 after other players were suspected of possessing cannabis, according to investigative sources.
“This is no longer about individual criminal behavior. Our management and supervisory responsibility as a university has now been called into question,” Nihon University said Friday.
The American football team, a 21-time winner of the Koshien Bowl, the national college championship game, has been embroiled in a number of scandals, with its coach recently dismissed after allegations of bullying.
In 2018, the team came under fire over a dangerous tackle by one of its members in an exhibition game against Kwansei Gakuin University.