Opinion: Joel Klatt is wrong to connect Michigan football scandal and Santa Ono departure
Opinion: Joel Klatt is wrong to connect Michigan football scandal and Santa Ono departure
Michigan football is expected to suspend head coach Sherrone Moore for two games after Moore deleted his text message chain with Connor Stalions (though he produced the texts for the NCAA investigators). The suspension is set for Weeks 3-4 in the 2025 season, and Fox Sports' Joel Klatt is none too happy about the selective punishment for the second-year Wolverines coach.
On his podcast, Klatt called the action 'self-serving for Michigan' in advance of the June 6-7 committee on infractions hearing with the NCAA, where the university's athletic department and the governing body will meet to discuss the notice of allegations and the U-M response.
"Let's be incredibly honest about it. It is self-serving for Michigan," Klatt said. "This benefits them to try to get out in front of it as one thing to get out in front of it, to benefit you. The most is another, which obviously trying to get your feet wet -- not only as let's face it a young head coach, but also with a new quarterback -- you don't want to try to go through all of those gymnastics early in the year with this suspension. So get your feet wet as a team. And in particular, the starting quarterback for the first two weeks and that big road test -- Big Ten-SEC. as Michigan goes on the road to Oklahoma -- which, like I said, is Sherrone's alma mater -- and then serve the suspension. Is that beneficial for Michigan? Obviously, yes. Obviously, yes. Which is why they're trying to do it this way."
Is it self-serving? Yes. But schools often punish themselves in a way that seems fit to them in lieu of the NCAA doling out punishments -- it's the NCAA's role to decide whether or not that's enough. The NCAA could determine that it should be different games, or it could decide more games, or it could decide that two games for deleting texts (which were later produced) is OK.
Klatt goes on to say that with Michigan levying this punishment alongside U-M president Santa Ono leaving for Florida could be an omen for how deep this rabbit hole goes.
"So now you have Michigan trying to get out in front of a suspension for their head coach, Sherrone Moore, and the president leaving for a job that we would all at least assume is not quite as prestigious," Klatt said. "So something's coming, and it's likely very large and could be even financial. So the Michigan saga is going to be with us at least for a few more months, a couple months after June."
There is no indication that Ono's departure has to do with sports -- in fact, athletic director Warde Manuel, who was in power for the entirety of this saga, was extended in his role after all the news came out. Ono, however, has been overseeing the university during other tumult -- from Israeli-Palestinian disagreements on campus, the elimination of the DEI departments to the chagrin of some members of the board of regents, as well as clashes with regents and their view of the current U.S. administration's viewpoints. It is much more likely that Ono is departing due to a combination of factors, such as the aforementioned, and nothing to do with sports -- especially with Manuel having been extended.
The University of Michigan has a $19.2 billion endowment -- considered the third-biggest of public universities and ninth overall. Michigan Medicine, the U-M hospital system, makes nearly $8 billion in revenue and has a series of endowments near $1 billion. The U-M athletic department makes about $250 million in revenue -- scant compared to other aspects of business for the president in Ann Arbor. Certainly, a sign-stealing 'scandal' has little to do with university business.
Klatt is right that something is coming, but there have been no indications, other than rival fan screeching online, that Michigan will be subject to upheaval. Early indications do suggest that this suspension, a fine, recruiting restrictions, and show-causes for Jim Harbaugh and Connor Stalions are likely to be the punishment.
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