DAYTON, Ohio -- Sammy Smith, a junior forward who said he was abducted by a gunman outside his campus apartment before managing to escape in Texas, has admitted making up the story, the university said Thursday.

The school said its public safety department, the FBI and the Dayton police department investigated the alleged abduction. The investigation included numerous interviews and a lie-detector test that was administered to Smith, said Bruce Burt, the university's director of public safety.

Burt said the lie-detector test did not support Smith's story.

''The investigation clearly established that the alleged incident did not occur,'' Burt said. ''He acknowledged that it did not occur.''

Smith told WHIO-TV in Dayton Thursday night that he told the truth about being kidnapped, but was pressured by authorities to sign an admission of guilt.

''I signed that paper trying to get it over the easy way so I could go on, and I got to pay the consequences,'' Smith said. ''If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have signed that paper.''

Burt said he is not sure why Smith would fabricate the story.

''He's been through a lot of difficult issues, personal issues, as well as obviously the stress of being a Division I basketball player. I would venture to say that a lot of that had a play in some of the decisions that were made,'' Burt said. ''I know he's dealing with a lot.''

Burt said he wanted ''to let the University of Dayton community know there's not a threat out there and there's no need for unnecessary fear.''

Messages seeking comment were left for Smith at his Columbus-area home and for the FBI in Dayton.

Smith, 21, said he was kidnapped outside his campus apartment Oct. 17 and was forced to drive by his abductor. He said he managed to escape near Fort Worth, Texas, the next day when he drove off after his abductor got out of the car to urinate beside the road.

Smith's father, Michael Smith, said his son told him that he did not know why the gunman kidnapped him but that the gunman knew many details about his family.

He said his son told him the gunman approached him outside his son's apartment and made him go inside and get some belongings. The gunman then took his son to an ATM and made him pay for everything on the trip with cash so their movements couldn't be tracked using credit card receipts, the elder Smith said his son told him.

He said his son told him that the gunman said they were going to Mexico.

The 6-foot-5 Smith has not practiced with the team since Oct. 17. On Monday, he was granted a release from the university that will allow him to transfer.

Smith is a graduate of Worthington Christian High School. He played in 46 games in his two seasons at Dayton and averaged 1.2 points.