DENVER -- Former University of Colorado kicker Katie Hnida's allegations that she was raped when she played for the team in 2000 has sent shockwaves through the scandal-wrought university, which is also taking heat for the comments made by the head coach of the football program.

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Hoffman Blasts Barnett's 'Inappropriate Remarks' Hear What Barnett Said About Katie Hnida CU Officials React To Latest Allegations

Hnida said she came forward and told her story to Sports Illustrated because she felt "the information may be pertinent to the current recruiting scandal investigation."

The former place kicker said she was sexually harassed, groped in huddles and raped while on the team four years ago, but she says she does not plan to file charges and does not want to name the former team members responsible for her harassment and sexual assault.

Hnida said she never went to head coach Gary Barnett with her concerns during her one season on the Buffs football team and didn't report it because she didn't want to create a big "media mess." On Tuesday, Barnett said he was surprised by the allegations and that Hnida should have expected some problems when she joined the football team.

"It's a guy's sport. (Players) felt like Katie was forced on them. It was obvious Katie was not very good. She was awful. You know what guys do? They respect your ability. I mean, you could be 90 years old, but if you could go out and play, they would respect you. Well Katie was a girl, and not only was she a girl, she was terrible," Barnett said.

Barnett denied any knowledge of Hnida's rape allegation and sexual harassment and continues to defend the football program. He also said he wants her to provide names, a place and date so he can investigate her claims.

Barnett asserted that he would not step down as head coach and said he will see the team through this latest scandal.

CU president Elizabeth Hoffman said she was "deeply disturbed" that Barnett made such comments about Hnida hours after the rape allegations surfaced.

"I was deeply disturbed by the comments that Coach Barnett made yesterday, focusing more on her kicking ability than on the message at hand, which is that we really need to address the sexual assault," Hoffman said. "I've told him I do not expect to hear any more such remarks ... I've told him in no uncertain terms that was an unacceptable remark."

"He was perhaps a bit upset. He believes he's been maligned in the press and I think, that perhaps to some extent, correct. He believes his reputation is at stake and that, to some extent, is correct as well. But at the same time, at times like this, you have to choose your words carefully," Hoffman said.

One of Hnida's former teammates also admitted Tuesday that there was animosity on the team because many players felt there were others who deserved the spot more than Hnida.

Former CU team leader Brady McDonnell also said he never saw Hnida being mistreated. In fact, he said just the opposite occurred.

"There was times, where, or one time in particular, where she did some things that I thought were inappropriate," McDonnell said. "Some people were upset that she didn't deserve the spot as maybe another person."

Hnida is now enrolled at the University of New Mexico, where she is well liked by her teammates, who say her presence on the team was never a problem.

"Everyone accepts that she's on the team and she's just one of the guys to us," said Zach Rupp, a University of New Mexico player.

"We're all about team here. Even if she is a lady, we show her respect just like anybody else on the team, we treat her like we treat anybody else," said University of New Mexico football player Marcus Parker.

Hoffman also said the university is hiring a special assistant to act as a liaison between the athletic department and the president and chancellor's office, someone who has no stake in the outcome of the investigation.

"We can't be there in the athletic department every single day looking to see the assurances we're getting are actually true," Hoffman said.

Hnida shared her story with Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly, who said Hnida was afraid to report the abuse while playing for CU.

"She got this idea that if she came forward and said, 'Look, I'm being harassed, I'm being cornered, guys are exposing themselves to me, I'm being cornered in the hallway, I'm being groped in huddles,' that the team that didn't want her, and Barnett admitted they didn't want her, and would get rid of her," Reilly told 7NEWS.

"I just had the feeling from the beginning when she got there, and I've known her since high school, from the beginning, that was not a team that wanted her. Seeing Katie now, she's not the same person. She's a damaged person and I think it's too bad," Reilly said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Hnida's claims are another hit that the CU football team has to endure. Three other women have sued the school in federal court, saying they were raped by players or recruits at or after an off-campus party in December 2001.

Another alleged rape by a CU football player was reported to Boulder police in 2001, according to police department records released Wednesday.

According to the records, a female athletic department employee contacted police on Sept. 30, 2001 and said that she had been raped by a football player two days earlier.

An investigation was conducted, but no arrest was made in the case because the woman did not want to press charges, Boulder County District Attorney Mary Keenan said.

On Tuesday, Hoffman warned that the stakes are high and when asked if Barnett's job was on the line, she said, "Everyone's job is at risk."

Reilly said Barnett does bear a lot of responsibility.

"Every day he's saying, 'Geez, I was unaware of strippers. I was unaware of escort services. I was unaware of recruiting parties. I was unaware that my kicker was being abused.' He's either the most clueless coach we've ever had at Colorado or he's trying really hard not to know," Reilly said.

A former Northwestern player says the same thing happened to him when Barnett was coach of the Wildcats, but that player also says Barnett never knew recruits were enticed by exotic dancers.

David Beazley won two Big Ten championships at Northwestern as part of two teams Barnett led to the Rose Bowl. He says the recruits made the requests for strippers and those requests were fulfilled without the coaching staff's knowledge.