Ten University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football players have been suspended and five of them recommended for expulsion following accusations of sexual assault by a female student.

On Jan. 3, the university fired head coach Tracy Claeys and much of his staff.

On Dec. 16, a report by UMN’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action provided the most detailed accounts yet of the sexual encounter that started all this and why the U reached its decisions. Many will find the description of the hourlong incident disturbing.

The Hennepin County attorney’s office decided Nov. 1 not to charge any of the players, but announced Wednesday that its lawyers would take another look at the investigation. On Wednesday, Dec. 30, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced that, despite finding “deplorable behavior,” the university’s investigation provided “no new significant evidence” that would warrant criminal charges.

A day before the EEOA report became public, players promised to “boycott all football activities,” including the Dec. 27 Holiday Bowl, until the suspensions were lifted. The university stood by its decision. The players relented and backed off the boycott threat, which had put the Holiday Bowl organizers in a bind. The team went on to play in the bowl game, and won.

Controversy remains. Before his firing there were calls for Claeys to be axed, and the situation has left students, fans and alumni conflicted. Claeys has refused to talk directly about the incident but has defended his actions, saying, “I wouldn’t change anything I did.”

There’s a lot that led up to this that we know about. Here are the facts.

Related: Soucheray: Any U player of character would have cleared the building, helped the woman

HOW DID THIS ALL START?

Sept. 2, a sexual incident occurred between a 22-year-old female student and multiple football players and a high school recruit. It happened hours after the Gophers season opener at TCF Bank Stadium. She said it was sexual assault. She went to an area hospital to have a rape kit examination, and reported the incident to Minneapolis police the next day. A number of players, their attorney and family members have said publicly or to police that it was consensual.

WHAT HAPPENED?

It started with the woman, a player and the recruit in a room and then became a prolonged sexual encounter between the woman and between 10 and 20 football players, with males lined up outside an apartment bedroom. That’s according to 23 pages of Minneapolis police reports and an 80-page report from the university’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action posted by KSTP. Related Articles Rashod Bateman practicing with Gophers, but his eligibility remains uncertain

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She said she was drunk and her memory was hazy and included gaps. Both the U and Minneapolis police said early parts of the encounter appeared to have been consensual. The woman said that what followed — more men and more sexual contact — was rape. At various times over what might have lasted more than an hour, she said she tried to end the encounter, verbally and physically, but was prevented. Players denied this. The university largely agreed with the woman, finding her accounts more credible than the players’ denials.

RELATED: University report details woman’s sexual assault allegation, football players’ defense

Examining players’ text messages that chronicled parts of the incident and referred to women with derogatory terms, university investigators concluded there existed a “collective effort by (some) accused students to deny this potentially sexually harassing activity.”

WHAT’S THE STATUS OF THE PLAYERS?

Of the 10 who have been suspended indefinitely, five have been recommended for expulsion — Ray Buford, Carlton Djam, KiAnte Hardin, Dior Johnson and Tamarion Johnson, according to an attorney representing them.

The players up for a one-year suspension are Kobe McCrary, Mark Williams, Seth Green and Antoine Winfield Jr.

Antonio Shenault is being considered for probation.

Many of the players have been prevented from playing in various games this season as a result of prior fallout from the incident.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The U’s disciplinary process has not completely played out. Players can appeal, and their attorney has said they plan to.

Meanwhile, the team, which finished its season 8-4, ended its boycott and will play in the Holiday Bowl. As for their coach, Claeys is trying to turn the page on the crisis and move on.

RAPE IS A CRIME. HAS ANYONE BEEN CHARGED?

No. Various people representing the players — including attorneys and players’ families, have disputed various aspects of the woman’s account. Some have said it was consensual. Hennepin County prosecutors declined to prosecute, saying in a statement: “There is insufficient admissible evidence for prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that either force was used, or that the victim was physically helpless as defined by law in a sexual encounter.”

WHY SUSPENSIONS BUT NO CHARGES?

That’s impossible to answer fully because the university has said privacy laws prevent officials from discussing details. However, we do know that the U’s process for discipline and a court’s process for criminal convictions differ. Court convictions are based on guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt,” while the U’s threshold is based on a “preponderance of evidence” — a lower bar. In the end, the U concluded the disciplined players violated aspects of university policies, including “sexual assault, stalking and relationship violence,” “sexual harassment” and a section of the student conduct code relating to integrity. These are different from crimes. Related Articles Rashod Bateman practicing with Gophers, but his eligibility remains uncertain

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WAS THE INCIDENT RECORDED?

Yes. This was revealed when six players — the initial four plus Kiondre Thomas and Carlton Djam — were served with restraining orders in October that prevented the players from entering TCF Bank Stadium. At least one of the restraining orders alleged sharing of explicit recordings of the encounter. No recordings have been made public, but on Friday we learned that the recordings appear to capture only the early parts of the incident.

WASN’T THIS WHOLE THING SETTLED?

Yes and no. The restraining orders were lifted in November after the woman and the players reached an agreement. Under the agreement, the players and the petitioner are to have no contact while she attends the University of Minnesota. In addition, the players agreed not to file civil lawsuits against the woman. The settlement was reached after a morning of testimony and about 90 minutes of afternoon discussions between the parties involved: the petitioner, the players, their attorneys and Hennepin County Judge Mel Dickson. Afterward, the woman said: “I’m glad this is over. … This has never been about punishing anyone. I just wanted to feel safe. Because of the resolution we came to, now I can.” However, that settlement doesn’t appear to have prevented the U from taking action.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE WOMAN?

She’s 22 years old and is involved in game-day operations at TCF Bank Stadium. Her name and other details have not been published, as is common with cases involving allegations of sexual assault. Unlike the players named, she hasn’t been disciplined or formally accused of any wrongdoing by any authorities.