MINNEAPOLIS — One by one, the entire Minnesota football roster walked out of the locker room and onto the practice facility turf to face a waiting media gathering.

Wearing their game jerseys with gold numbers, they lined up behind 10 of their teammates who were suspended earlier this week after an internal university investigation into an alleged sexual assault.

Three senior leaders stood in front of the group and delivered a defiant rebuke of the university’s policies, saying they would not participate in football activities until the school president and athletic director apologized and revoked the suspensions. If that meant they did not play in the upcoming Holiday Bowl against Washington State, they appeared poised to stand firm.

“All these kids’ reputations are destroyed,” senior quarterback Mitch Leidner said Thursday. “Their names are destroyed. It’s extremely difficult to get back and it’s very unfair for them and that’s why we’re sticking together through this thing.”

Two assistant coaches and former Minnesota Vikings star cornerback Antoine Winfield, whose son Antoine Winfield Jr. was one of the players suspended, were there watching while head coach Tracy Claeys tweeted his support. A program that has toiled in the bottom half of the Big Ten for decades was suddenly thrust into the national spotlight.

“I’m very proud of those young men,” Winfield Sr. said. “It took a lot. Everyone didn’t have to participate in that. But that’s what I love about football. It’s a team game. It’s a brotherhood and it shows you the support and love the players feel for each other.”

The Gophers voiced their displeasure with a lack of communication from President Eric Kaler and athletic director Mark Coyle after the decision was made to suspend the players indefinitely. Four of those players were suspended earlier in the season for three games after becoming part of a sexual assault investigation. No arrests were made, no charges were filed and a restraining order put in place by the woman was removed on Nov. 2.

But this week the school’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action recommended suspending those four players and six others, saying they violated the school’s standards for conduct. Ray Buford Jr., KiAnte Hardin, Dior Johnson, Tamarion Johnson and Carlton Djam were all recommended for expulsion.

Antoine Winfield Jr., Kobe McCrary, Seth Green and Mark Williams were recommended for one-year suspensions, and Antonio Shenault was recommended for probation by the EOAA.

“The actions of president Kaler have breached fiduciary duty not only to the 10 falsely accused, but to all of us,” receiver Drew Wolitarsky said.