Brady Hoke, SDSU athletic director walk out of press conference after questions on Matt Araiza gang rape lawsuit

San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke and athletic director JD Wicker are not taking questions on former Aztecs punter Matt Araiza, who was released from the Buffalo Bills after he and two other SDSU players were accused in a lawsuit of participating in a gang rape.

According to AP Sports writer Bernie Wilson, that was the reason for an early exit from both Hoke and Wicker at Monday’s press conference.

“#SDSU AD JD Wicker and football coach Brady Hoke just got up and walked out of a news conference because they wanted to discuss Saturday’s football game, not the many questions swirling around the Matt Araiza gang-rape lawsuit,” Wilson tweeted.

Araiza was a sixth-round pick of the Bills in the 2022 NFL Draft after making a name for himself at SDSU for his booming punts. Last season, he led the nation with 51.19 yards per punt and 288.9 punting yards per game to help the Aztecs to a 12-2 record, including a 7-1 record in Mountain West play, and a Frisco Bowl appearance. He was a unanimous All-American selection and won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best punter.

More on the lawsuit against Matt Araiza, release from Bills

Along with the civil suit — which alleges that Araiza and two SDSU teammates gang raped a 17-year-old girl in October 2021 at a house party off campus — there was a parallel investigation by local police. That investigation recently concluded and the prosecutor will make a decision on whether or not to charge anyone allegedly involved, according to a report from the L.A. Times.

The Bills were initially unaware of the allegations against Araiza. Then after a preseason game on Friday night, head coach Sean McDermott addressed the situation. A day later, the Bills released Araiza.

“We tried to be thorough and thoughtful and not rush to judgment, and I would say it’s not easy,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said at a press conference announcing the move. “You’re trying to put facts around a legal situation sometimes with limited information.”

On3’s Nick Schultz and Andrew Graham contributed to this report.