BOULDER -- University of Colorado Head Football Coach Gary Barnett on Saturday announced that he has sanctioned four players for team rules violations related to recruiting activities, including taking a recruit to a strip club.

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On Friday, Barnett learned that one of his players, linebacker Chris Hollis, took a recruit to an 18-and-over strip club in Boulder.

The next day, Barnett held a mandatory team meeting to ask the team and staff if they knew of any other violation or anything about the recent allegation under investigation by the Broomfield Police Department.

Neither coaches nor players knew anything about the allegation of hiring an escort service for parties; three players came forth admitting that they had engaged in conduct that violated team rules, including one alcohol violation.

Barnett immediately applied sanctions to those players as spelled out in the player's handbook.

Offensive lineman Brian Daniels, Offensive lineman Jack Tipton, cornerback Sammy Joseph and Hollis will be suspended for the season opener against Colorado State University. One of the cases was reported to to the Office of Judicial Affairs because of the alcohol violation.

Barnett said there was no underage drinking during the strip club incident and the recruit returned to his hotel room by 12:30 a.m. in time for curfew.

The accusations are the latest against the football program, under fire for allegedly using sex and alcohol at parties to entice recruits. The university denies the allegations, but regents have appointed an independent commission to investigate.

"We are pleased that the three players came forth with this new information and that the coach took swift action," school president Elizabeth Hoffman and Chancellor Richard Byyny said in a statement. "We continue to evaluate other information we have received and will take swift, decisive and appropriate action upon the receipt of credible information."

Depositions surfaced last week about an off-campus party attended by football players and recruits in Boulder in December 2001. Three women who say they were raped at or just after the party sued the school, saying it fostered a hostile environment for women in violation of federal gender equity laws.

Boulder District Attorney Mary Keenan declined to file rape charges but said in a deposition she believed sex was used to lure recruits and athletic officials had ignored her demands to crack down.

Keenan has appointed investigators to re-examine allegations stemming from the party.

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