5 Concordia University Chicago Players Hospitalized After Workout; 2 Games Postponed

Five Concordia University Chicago men's basketball players were hospitalized between Jan. 2 and 4, days after the players were put through a grueling Dec. 31 practice.

An email from the school sent to players and parents on Thursday read as follows, per CBS News Chicago's Sara Machi: "Amid the already stressful and exhausting week, Saturday's practice represented a particularly high-intensity, collegiate-level circuit training."

A source told Machi that players "were suffering from conditions like lactic acidosis and rhabdomyolysis."

"Usually you see this sort of stuff in the marathon runners, the soccer players, sort of the endurance athletes," Dr. Christopher Hicks of Northwestern Medicine told Machi.

As for why the players were put through the practice, Concordia University Chicago Athletic Director Pete Gnan wrote: "It has been alleged by some that the intensity and difficulty of Saturday's practice was a direct consequence of the broken curfew earlier in the week."

Concordia-Chicago played a pair of games in California on Dec. 28 and 29 against California Lutheran University and Whittier College, respectively. Both games ended in defeat, but Concordia Chicago still sports an 8-2 record.

"Our athletics program has zero tolerance for harassment or retaliatory actions of any kind, and reporting mechanisms are in place for students, coaches and related staff," Gnan also wrote.

The team's Jan. 3 and Jan. 7 games against Lakeland University and Concordia University Wisconsin, respectively, have been postponed. Its next scheduled contest is Tuesday at home versus Dominican University.

Assistant coach Rashaan Surles has been named acting head coach for the Division III squad after the school temporarily removed Steve Kollar, who declined comment when approached by CBS News Chicago.