Hagel asking for information about military ties to NFL

The Pentagon is increasingly sensitive to any suggestion it is supporting a major sports organization that is perceived to tolerate domestic violence.

“The secretary wants to fully understand that relationship, in case he decides to make some changes to it,” a senior defense official told CNN.

The military has a zero-tolerance policy in the ranks for domestic abuse, but it also has a high-profile relationship with the NFL that goes back decades. Any Pentagon action to cut back support for the NFL would be the most direct involvement by the Obama administration yet in the scandal.