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Michigan and the NCAA are in for a long, bruising fight over allegations related to the Connor Stalions-led advanced scouting and sign-stealing scheme.
In its response to the association sent earlier this month, the university refutes many of the alleged rules violations and accuses the NCAA of “grossly overreaching” and “wildly overcharging” the program without credible evidence that other staff members knew of Stalions’ illegal in-person scouting system.
In the 137-page document — a portion of which Yahoo Sports obtained — Michigan makes clear that it will not enter into a negotiated resolution with the NCAA over the alleged wrongdoing, vigorously defending its former head coach, current head coach, several staff members and even Stalions, the low-level assistant who orchestrated one of the most elaborate sign-stealing systems in college football history on the way to the school winning the 2023 national championship. The school purports that the sign-stealing system offered “minimal relevance to competition,” was not credibly proven by NCAA investigators and should be treated as a minor violati
on.
While the school respects the secrecy of confidential sources, it says in the document, the NCAA can present evidence and infractions based only on “information that can be attributed to individuals who are willing to be identified.”
The case is now bound for a hearing before the Division I Committee on Infractions, an independent administrative body charged with deciding infractions cases. The committee has authority to set and conduct hearings as well as prescribe penalties
.However, Michigan is requesting a “pre-hearing conference” to discuss the origins of the tipster and their role in the charges against the school.
A hearing before the Committee on Infractions is likely to happen over the coming weeks as the school and association enter what could be a lengthy fight similar to the one that Tennessee waged against the NCAA in 2023 over recruiting violations. Eventually, the Volunteers avoided the dreaded postseason ban, instead suffering financial penalties and recruiting and scholarship reductions.
The NCAA’s notice of allegations, as well as Michigan’s response, did not stipulate proposed penalties against the school. However, six of the 11 violations are deemed to be Level I and the NCAA asserts that Michigan “failed to monitor” its football program given the severe nature and multi-year length of the Stalions scheme. The university and several of its coaches are considered repeat offenders, an allegation the school refutes in its response.
Two years ago, a separate investigation found both Harbaugh and Moore guilty of COVID-era recruiting violations. In that case, Michigan was placed on three years probation, and Harbaugh received a four-year show-cause order that effectively prevents him from coaching in col
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Doc: Michigan fighting allegations made by NCAA in Connor Stalions sign-stealing saga
Michigan accuses NCAA of overreaching, defends Sherrone Moore’s deleted texts and reveals sign-stealing tipster came from its own campus
Ross Dellenger
ross dellenger
Senior College Football Reporter
Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 11:06 PM GMT+1·13 min read
311
Michigan and the NCAA are in for a long, bruising fight over allegations related to the Connor Stalions-led advanced scouting and sign-stealing scheme.
In its response to the association sent earlier this month, the university refutes many of the alleged rules violations and accuses the NCAA of “grossly overreaching” and “wildly overcharging” the program without credible evidence that other staff members knew of Stalions’ illegal in-person scouting system.
In the 137-page document — a portion of which Yahoo Sports obtained — Michigan makes clear that it will not enter into a negotiated resolution with the NCAA over the alleged wrongdoing, vigorously defending its former head coach, current head coach, several staff members and even Stalions, the low-level assistant who orchestrated one of the most elaborate sign-stealing systems in college football history on the way to the school winning the 2023 national championship. The school purports that the sign-stealing system offered “minimal relevance to competition,” was not credibly proven by NCAA investigators and should be treated as a minor violation.
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An NCAA spokesperson confirmed that the association received Michigan’s response, but declined to provide additional details and refused to confirm the document that Yahoo Sports obtained. A Michigan spokesperson declined comment when reached, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. A Big Ten official declined comment as well.
In its response, Michigan believes that the notice of allegations, sent to the school in August, makes “numerous factually unsupported infractions, exaggerates aggravating factors and ignores mitigating facts,” the document says. The school requests that the NCAA apply “common sense and commitment to fairness” and treat the case not as a serious Level I infractions case but a “Level II standard case.”
T
However, perhaps most notable in the document is an answer to a long-discussed question: Who originally tipped
off the NCAA to Stalions’ scheme?
lege.
