Vanderbilt suspends 4 players

Published Jun. 28, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Vanderbilt has suspended four football players for a violation of team rules while Nashville police investigate whether a sex crime occurred in a campus dormitory.

The school's public affairs department announced the suspensions Friday in a three-sentence release that didn't discuss the nature of the rule violations. Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said the suspensions are related to the police investigation.

Aaron said the department's sex crimes unit began investigating Wednesday after Vanderbilt police notified them about ''a matter that is alleged to have occurred at a Vanderbilt University dormitory.''

''This is an open and very much active investigation,'' Aaron said.

The release issued by Vanderbilt's public affairs department said that ''because of Vanderbilt's ongoing investigation, the university will offer further comment when appropriate.''

Vanderbilt went 9-4 and beat North Carolina State in the Music City Bowl last year for its best season since 1915.