I read one of the articles stating that the university knew about this incident sometime in the fall.
But the article didn't say when in the fall (was it in August or October) nor did it say how much detail the university knew or had of the incident. I'm guessing the coaches knew what the university knew.
"The Nebraska athletic department said in a statement Monday that it had been contacted by the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department regarding the investigation.
“Last fall we were ... made aware that officials in California were interested in interviewing Maurice Washington about a prior incident,” the athletic department statement read. “Details were not shared and there was no additional follow-up with the Nebraska Athletic Department. Recently, we were made aware that charges may be filed against Maurice in California. We have not had a chance to review the charges, and will continue to monitor this ongoing legal process.”
Athletic Director Bill Moos said Tuesday during a radio interview that Nebraska was “inquisitive” upon learning of the situation involving Washington but “there wasn’t a lot of conversation that went any further than, ‘We have a concern and something happened in California and we’ll keep you informed.’ That’s how it panned out.”