December 1997: High school student reports she was sexually
assaulted by two Colorado recruits at a party. No charges filed
because witnesses can't corroborate the allegations. Recruits do
not enroll.
February 1998: Mary Keenan and other Boulder County prosecutors
meet with university lawyers and the chancellor. Keenan later says
she put athletic officials "on notice" about concerns dealing
with sex and alcohol involving recruits. Athletic director Richard
Tharp says he has a different memory of the meeting.
January 1999: Gary Barnett named football coach.
Dec. 7, 2001: Colorado football players and recruits attend
off-campus party; two women later say they were raped at the party
and a third says she was assaulted in a dorm room afterward. The
three later file federal gender-discrimination lawsuits against the
school.
April 2002: Prosecutors decide against rape charges in the
case.
May 3: Prosecutors file felony charges against four football
players for allegedly providing alcohol to minors at the party. The
next day, school confirms it has revoked scholarships of four
players.
Oct. 27, 2003: Sworn statements from Keenan, now district
attorney, are released suggesting prosecutors decided against
sexual assault charges because men had "third-party consent" to
have sex with at least one woman at the party.
Jan. 28: A deposition by Keenan is released in which she
accuses Colorado's athletic department of using sex and alcohol as
recruiting tools.
Jan. 29: Barnett, Tharp and others deny Keenan's allegations.
Gov. Bill Owens demands public accounting.
Feb. 2: University President Elizabeth Hoffman announces an
independent commission appointed by regents will look into Keenan's
allegations.
Feb 6: Keenan says investigators will re-examine allegations
about rape at the party. Broomfield police say athletic department
may be tied to an incident involving an escort service.
Feb. 10: Denver adult entertainment company says Colorado
football players hired strippers for recruiting parties.
Feb. 13: Colorado says escort service was called from a cell
phone once assigned to former football recruiting assistant Nathan
Maxcey. Maxcey says there was no connection to players or recruits.
Feb. 17: Former Colorado kicker Katie Hnida tells Sports
Illustrated she was raped by a teammate in 2000.
Feb. 18: Police release report in which a woman says she was
sexually assaulted by a football player in September 2001 and that
Barnett told her he would back his player if charges were pursued.
No charges were filed. Barnett placed on paid leave for comments
attributed to him in the police report and for disparaging Hnida's
athletic ability.
Feb. 20: Assistant coach Brian Cabral named interim football
coach.
Feb. 25: John DiBiaggio, former president of the universities
of Connecticut, Michigan State and Tufts, hired as temporary
liaison between university administration and athletics department.
Feb. 27: Owens appoints Attorney General Ken Salazar as special
prosecutor to investigate scandal.
March 4: University announces stricter football recruiting
rules.
March 11: NCAA officials tell House subcommittee hearing in
Washington new recruiting standards are being considered.
May 6: Colorado faculty suggest overhaul for athletics
department, saying situation has become "intolerable."
May 11: Salazar decides against filing criminal charges in nine
alleged sexual assaults involving football players.
May 14: Police clear second football player in report by woman
who said she was raped after meeting two men at a tavern in August
2002. One of the players had accused police of racial profiling
May 18: Regents' panel releases final report: Evidence of drug,
alcohol and drug use to entice recruits but no suggestion that
university officials condoned misconduct.
May 21: Statewide grand jury hears testimony from woman who
says a school aide handed over $2,000 in cash to a call girl service.
May 27: University reinstates Barnett, says no one will lose
their job because of the scandal. Hoffman announces sweeping
changes to boost accountability in the athletics department.