Is Northwestern revoking the suspension of Pat Fitzgerald? Despite a heavy backlash, what does Michael Schill's "may have erred" statement mean?

The Pat Fitzgerald saga at Northwestern has taken a new turn. In light of new information regarding allegations of hazing within the Wildcats football program, the university is set to reassess the disciplinary actions imposed on the coach.

It was announced last week that the longstanding football coach would go on suspension without pay for two weeks. This was after the university found credible evidence on the allegations of hazing following a six-month period of investigation.

In a recent letter addressed to the Northwestern community, the university president, Michael Schill, acknowledged the possibility of misjudging the appropriate penalty. He stated in the letter that he "may have erred in weighing the appropriate sanction" for Fitzgerald.

This has raised speculation about whether the coach will see an increase or decrease in his sanction. Since the allegations came out, the coach and the university have received heavy backlash from the general public.

What is the future of Pat Fitzgerald in the wake of a new sanction?

With new consideration on the issue, all indications suggest Fitzgerald should have his two weeks suspension increased by the university authority. He may get fired too. It is, however, not known what sanctions will be imposed against the head coach. The situation is far worse than it may seem because the incident has enraged true football fans.

Schill is expected to have a discussion with Northwestern's board of trustees and other university leaders to determine a new penalty. The president believed he had placed so much focus on his ignorance of the situation while levying the sanction.

"In determining an appropriate penalty for the head coach, I focused too much on what the report concluded he didn't know and not enough on what he should have known."

"As the head coach of one of our athletics programs, coach Fitzgerald is not only responsible for what happens within the program but also must take great care to uphold our institutional commitment to the student experience. ... Clearly, he failed to uphold that commitment, and I failed to sufficiently consider that failure in levying a sanction."

The university president also expressed in his letter that he had a conversation with the family of the player involved. He noted that he personally extended his apologies for the difficult experiences the player had to endure while being part of the program.

President Schill made efforts to reach out to the former player, whose allegations were outlined in a report published earlier on Saturday by The Daily Northwestern. The identity of the former player remains anonymous.

Fitzgerald has been the head coach of the Wildcats since 2006, having previously served in various capacities as an assistant and also played as a linebacker for the program. It will be crucial for him to get out of this situation clean; otherwise, it could jeopardize his future in the college world forever.