Michigan to appeal fine, NCAA penalties in sign-stealing scheme

Reuters

2 days ago

August 15 - Michigan plans to appeal NCAA punishment levied following the investigation into the program's advance scouting scheme during the 2021-23 seasons.
"In a number of instances the decision makes fundamental errors in interpreting NCAA bylaws; and it includes a number of conclusions that are directly contrary to the evidence -- or lack of evidence -- in the record," Michigan said Friday afternoon in response to the NCAA findings and penalties announced earlier in the day.
In releasing its findings publicly on Friday, the NCAA said that "over the course of three seasons, the Michigan football program committed violations involving an off-campus, in-person scouting scheme, impermissible recruiting inducements and communications, head coach responsibility rules, individuals' failures to cooperate and Michigan's failure to monitor, according to a decision released by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel.
"The scouting violations orchestrated by former football staff member Connor Stalions were corroborated by interview testimonies, ticket receipts and transfer data and other evidence. Those violations, along with former head football coach Jim Harbaugh's head coach responsibility violation and most of the failure to cooperate violations, are Level I. The recruiting violations, then-assistant football coach (and current head football coach) Sherrone Moore's failure to cooperate violation and Michigan's failure to monitor violation, are Level II."
Among the consequences for Michigan's purported sign-stealing scheme are a loss of postseason football revenue for the next two seasons and a fine expected to approach $20 million-$25 million given past Big Ten revenues. The exact amount depends, in part, on the postseason success of the conference.
The program was placed on four years' probation and will see a 25 percent reduction in football official visits in the upcoming season.
Michigan also will pay a fine of $50,000, plus 10 percent of the budget for the football program, and forfeit 10 percent of the cost of the scholarships for Michigan football players in the 2025-26 academic year.
Michigan was not banned from appearing in postseason games and no wins were vacated, including from its undefeated national championship season in 2023.
The Division I Committee on Infractions panel also suspended head coach Sherrone Moore one game, to be added to Michigan's self-imposed two-game ban to be served in 2025. Moore will serve the additional game punishment in the 2026 season opener.
Moore, however, is not prohibited from engaging in coaching or other activities during the two-year show-cause period.
"It is never our intent to be in a position where we are accused of any rules violations," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. "I fully support Coach Sherrone Moore, our student-athletes and staff as they prepare for the season ahead. I appreciate Coach Moore's continued commitment to ensuring his program operates in compliance with applicable rules. I acknowledge the Committee on Infractions' decision to not penalize our current student-athletes by eliminating postseason opportunities; however, a postseason ban should never have been a consideration in this case. I fully support the university's decision to pursue an appeal."
"I am glad that this part of the process has been completed," Moore said in a statement. "I greatly respect the rules governing collegiate athletics and it is my intent to have our program comply with those rules at all times. I will continue to focus my attention on our team and the upcoming 2025 season."
Former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, received a 10-year show-cause penalty and then-Wolverines staffer Connor Stalions was handed an eight-year show-cause penalty.
"Following Oct. 19, 2023, media reports of Stalions' scheme, Moore deleted his entire 52-message text thread with Stalions off his personal phone," the NCAA investigative report said.
"The following day, Moore deleted from his school-issued phone a single text that was part of a broader thread that referenced Stalions standing by Moore during a game. When questioned by the enforcement staff, Moore initially blamed the deleted messages on storage space, although he eventually admitted to deleting them as a reaction to the news. Harbaugh failed to cooperate by refusing to provide necessary records or participating in an interview with the enforcement staff."
A show-cause penalty acts as a barrier to college coaching in the future. It likely will have no impact on the career of Harbaugh, 61, who signed a reported five-year, $80 million contract with the Chargers when he was hired Jan. 24, 2024.
Harbaugh's penalty will begin on Aug. 7, 2028, at the conclusion of his four-year show-cause order from a previous case.
Moore was the offensive coordinator in 2023 and reportedly deleted a thread of more than 50 text messages with Stalions, which the NCAA said demonstrated a failure to cooperate with the investigation.
The scandal unfolded following Michigan's run to the 2023 College Football Playoff title.
During that season, Stalions was accused of operating a sign-stealing scheme by having friends and family attend the games of future opponents and videotape sideline signals.
The NCAA cited Michigan for 11 violations in an August 2024 notice of allegations, including six Level I (the most serious) violations. The school and the NCAA had been working on a final resolution of the matter.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions held a hearing on the case in June.
Moore guided the Wolverines to an 8-5 record (5-4 Big Ten) last season, ending with a 19-13 win against Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Dec. 31.
Harbaugh led the Chargers to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth last season. They lost 32-12 to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round.
No. 14 Michigan opens the season at home against New Mexico on Aug. 30.
--Field Level Media