The latest developments about the NCAA situation at Michigan.
Brad Crawford
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore faces NCAA punishment and a possible suspension stemming from a Level 2 violation afterinvestigators determined he allegedly deleted text messages from ex-Wolverines staffer Connor Stalions. The violation could result in a show-cause penalty for Moore, whose reported entanglement with Stalions has sparked reaction across college football.
According to ESPN, NCAA investigators determined Stalions removed computer hard drives from the Michigan football offices in October 2023 and gave a Wolverines player a sheet of opponent play calls, in addition to being disguised as a Central Michigan staffer during a game last season against Michigan State.
Stalions resigned in Novemberafter the retired United States Marine Corps captain and purported leader of Michigan's scouting operation was tabbed as the ringleader ofthe Wolverines' sign-stealing campaign.
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Here's some of the national reaction and latest details stemming from the NCAA's Notice of Allegations to Michigan:
— Graham Coffey (@GrahamCoffeyDC) August 4, 2024-52 deleted texts by Sherrone Moore
-58 games scoutedSee AlsoCollege football Week 1 highlights: Catch up on all the scores, best plays and biggest winsFive potential chaos teams ready to wreak havoc on College Football Playoff race in 2024 seasonAppalachian State vs. Campbell: Live updates, score, results, highlights, for Saturday's NCAA Football gameThis was known about from the top down. There was no lone wolf nature to Stallions. He had multiple hard drives worth of data stored in the building
Harbaugh was 49-26 at UM, on the verge of being fired. He saw drastic times… https://t.co/v6dY7a7dk1
The NCAA considers Moore a potential "repeat violator" after the organization previously looked into claims that he was contacting recruits during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period. Moore is one of seven members from the 2023 football program listed in the new allegations. Former head coach Jim Harbaugh, along with Chris Partridge, Denard Robinson and Stalions, are accused of committing Level I violations. Jesse Minter and Steve Clinkscale are accused of recruiting violations separate from the Stalions case.
The university faces a Level 1 violation charge, according to the draft obtained by ESPN. It claims a "pattern of noncompliance within the football program." The NCAA describes a Level I violation as a "violation that seriously undermines or threatens the integrity of the NCAA Collegiate Model, including any violation that provides or is intended to provide a substantial or extensive recruiting, competitive or other advantage." It's the most serious violation in the NCAA's four-level structure.
— Dan Murphy (@DanMurphyESPN) August 4, 2024NCAA investigators determined that Connor Stalions was on the sidelines wearing a disguise during the Central Michigan @ Michigan State game last fall, according to the draft.
No info provided on how he got a bench pass for the CMU sideline.
Central Michigan athletic director Amy Folan responded witha statement to ESPN last week weekafter a reportfrom Football Scoop surfaced indicating the Chippewaswere moving on from quarterbacks coach Jake Fostner ahead of the 2024 season. Fostner previously worked under then-Michigan coachJim Harbaughwith the Wolverines as a student assistant for four seasons and alongside Stalions.
"Central Michigan does not comment on ongoing personnel matters," Folan said in the statement to ESPN. "The NCAA investigation is still ongoing. We will continue to cooperate and look forward to a resolution."
As of Thursday, Kostner is still listed as the Chippewas' quarterbacks coachand John Leister, Central Michigan's director of football operations, has not been elevated to an on-field role, as initially reported. Tony Paul of theDetroit Newsreported Fostner received a contract extension earlier this yearand that Central Michigan will not confirm his current job status.
Central Michigan head coachJim McElwainaddressed the sign-stealing allegations that led to Stalions stepping down from his role as a recruiting assistant a few weeks after the Chippewas and Spartans played last season. Stalions allegedly used his own name topurchase tickets for more than 30 games at 11 Big Ten schoolsover the last three seasons, per reports.
Pate State Investigates™️ wins again https://t.co/ehsPaFq5EN
— Josh Pate (@LateKickJosh) August 4, 2024
The NCAA's draft obtained by ESPN reported that Stalions "had impermissibly scouted at least 13 future Michigan opponents on at least 58 occasions between 2021 and 2023." He also directed others to scout several opponents on multiple occasions.
If u r a big fan of the Maize & Blue @UMichFootball u can’t be happy reading this story at espn.com- via @ESPN App https://t.co/M8stUS0RcU
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) August 4, 2024
Moore was named Michigan's new head coach and Jim Harbaugh's successor in January after the title-winning leader bolted for the NFL. It was the third consecutive offseason that Harbaugh flirted with the pro ranks. Moorewas promoted to the head job following a highly regarded tenure with the Wolverines as an assistant. He arrived from Central Michigan in 2018 as Michigan's tight ends coach, then was promoted to offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator ahead of the 2021 season.
In retrospect, it should have been a bigger red flag that Jim Harbaugh seemingly had zero interest in returning to Michigan after winning a national title. https://t.co/6KrGHiNBPT
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) August 4, 2024
Under Harbaugh, the Wolverines were found to have committed several instances of impermissible contact with recruits during a dead period amid the pandemic, allowed a staffer to engage in on-field activities that were against the rules and was tagged with a "failure to cooperate" due to "unethical and dishonest conduct" from Harbaugh. He was suspended the first few games of the 2023 season and later missed a couple more down the stretch after more punishment.
Michigan placed aself-imposed, three-game suspension on Harbaughto begin the 2023 season after he was targeted in the aforementioned Level II violations, and then tangled in what was considered a Level I violation for his response to the investigation.
Michigan received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA last January that included four Level II violations and one Level I violation, pera report from The Athletic, which said the most serious allegation was "levied against Harbaugh for providing false or misleading information." The more minor allegations involvedimpermissible contact with recruits during a dead period and using an analyst as an on-field coach.
