We have nothing left to do but wait now on the eve of what could prove to be the costliest surge of testosterone to ever sport the blue-devil insignia.

Early last week, Duke sophomore lacrosse players Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty were arrested and charged with the first-degree rape and kidnapping of a 27-year-old exotic dancer at an off-campus house.

According to the District Attorney Mike Nifong, there is also a third yet-to-be identified suspect in the case, who has not been charged because “the evidence available to [Nifong] at this time does not permit that.” Nifong charged the two men solely on the stripper’s supposed photo identification of the accused.

That can’t be it, can it?

After negative DNA test results, photographs time-stamped with the accuser overly inebriated before arriving at the lacrosse house, a police recording radioed in by an officer who found the accuser passed out drunk on a side-walk after the now infamous party and a statement from the other exotic dancer who was at the party saying that no rape occurred, the DA decides to put the lives of  a few young men into the hands of a jury based on the drunk stripper’s recollection of what specifically the three accused men looked like? Not only this, but Seligmann has even been cited by the residents of the house where the party was held as one of six player who did NOT attend.

What’s that you say?

“Durrrrrr?”

You read my mind.

Being the upstanding college student that I am, I’ve only experienced memory loss from drinking on a few occasions. The rest I forget. Regardless, is there anyway that this “eyewitness account” of what took place can really hold water?

Legal mumbo-jumbo aside, there’s more to be lost here than just two or three rich white boys and the life of a black mother of two who says she strips to pay college tuition and to feed her kids (who was lucky enough to have Rev. Jessie Jackson offer to pay her tuition after the alleged incident).

First off is the coach, who resigned when this story was introduced to the public. Duke’s Lacrosse team has previously had legal problems with things such as underage drinking and public urination. But accusations of gang rape sent 16-year Duke coach Mark Pressler packing. During his tenure, Pressler led his team to three ACC titles and last year’s national championship game.

Second is the university. Duke is seen as one of upper echelon universities in the country for many reasons. Academics and athletics are among those. Along with these accusations will come a diminished  donation revenue from the Duke family, as it has been proven that criminal cases like this deter would-be donators. The most recent examples of this are with the Colorado football program earlier in the decade under coach Gary Barnett and more recently with the Baylor basketball team after one of their players was murdered by his teammate. Not only will Duke’s finances and reputation take a hit, so will  both athletic and non-athletic recruitment. Currently Duke has seven incoming freshman lacrosse players,  four of which have informed the school that they intend on playing elsewhere.

Third is the lacrosse team itself. 46 members of the team submitted DNA samples, and 46 samples returned negative. A lot of these players went to Duke to play the sport they love. Now they reach a level they have been training for since childhood just to have it cancelled because of unmitigated accusations? Innocent until proven guilty no longer applies.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not downplaying the seriousness of sexual assault, nor am I heeding the racially charged attitude the case has embodied since being charged in a split-race community. It is a delicate situation, there’s no denying that. But without evidence, where is the proof? If Seligmann and Finnerty are deemed guilty by a grand jury so be it, it would be two more rapists out of a perverted public. I just hope it is happens because of evidence, not circumstance.

Guilty or not? Let Craig know at craig.joseph@atomicsportsmedia.com