We’re a couple of weeks away from the start of a new college football season, and fans everywhere are ready for their teams to take the field. (Go Dawgs!) One prominent football program is under a dark cloud of scandal that has massive repercussions. The sign-stealing scandal involving the University of Michigan football program has reached its conclusion, and the NCAA has dropped the hammer on the Wolverines.
For the uninitiated, Michigan’s football program employed an analyst, Conor Stalions, to scout opponents. Stalions used a complex network of friends to steal the signals that these opponents were using to call plays. Stalions purchased tickets to games in order to scout the opponents, which is an NCAA rules violation.
In 2023, the violations and the ongoing investigation led the NCAA to suspend then-head coach Jim Harbaugh for three games, during which offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore took the helm. Harbaugh made a beeline for the NFL after the season, and Moore became head coach.
In May, the NCAA imposed a two-game suspension on Moore for his role. He had already served a single-game suspension in 2023 for an unrelated NCAA violation. But now, the NCAA is imposing severe penalties on those involved in the scandal — along with a hefty fine on the program.
Related: The Michigan Wolverines Sign-Stealing Scandal Won’t Go Away
Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel report at ESPN:
The NCAA’s Committee on Infractions ruled on the University of Michigan’s advanced scouting case on Friday with the school getting a significant fine including the loss of two years of postseason football revenue but avoiding punitive penalties like a postseason ban.
The NCAA also ruled an additional game suspension for head coach Sherrone Moore, which will take place in the 2026 season. Moore was expected to serve a two-game suspension in the upcoming season, which ESPN reported in May that the school proposed to self-impose.
The NCAA also slapped Harbaugh with a 10-year show-cause penalty and gave Stalions an eight-year show-cause penalty. Those penalties make it difficult for Harbaugh and Stalions to gain employment at the college level for the duration. As long as Harbaugh stays in the NFL, the penalty is symbolic.
As for the fines, Thamel and Wetzel say that they could cost Michigan dearly:
The size of the fine is expected to be considerable, although a finite amount will not be available. While there’s variables on how much teams will get from football postseason revenue, sources expect that number based on past Big Ten revenues and projections to be more than $20 million and perhaps more than $25. Some of that will depend on both Michigan’s performance the Big Ten’s performance.
Multiple sources familiar with Big Ten projected postseason revenues told ESPN to expect that number to be easily north of $20 million and perhaps above $25 million, as the CFP revenue significantly increases for Big Ten schools with the new contract in 2026.
These harsh penalties stem from six Level 1 violations. Level 1 is the most severe form of violations in the NCAA’s eyes. At this point, Moore is the only Michigan coach or staff member involved in the scandal who still works in college football.
The new college football season is almost here, but while some programs (Go Dawgs!) are gearing up for glory, others are bracing for fallout. The NCAA just lowered the boom on Michigan over its sign-stealing scandal — and the penalties are brutal. We’re talking multi-million-dollar fines, long suspensions, and career-killing show-cause orders.
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