Aug. 15 (UPI) — The NCAA issued heavy fines to Michigan and added to football coach Sherrone Moore’s suspension Friday through a ruling related to the Wolverines’ sign-stealing scandal.
The exact amount of the fines is not yet available, but the NCAA committee on infractions said the penalties include a $50,000 levy, plus 10% of the football program’s budget.
The Wolverines also received a fine equivalent to anticipated loss of postseason competition revenue associated with the 2025 and 2026 seasons and a fine equivalent to the cost of 10% of scholarships awarded within their football program for the 2025-26 academic year.
ESPN reported that the total amount of the fines could eclipse $30 million.
The Wolverines were not given a postseason ban or forced to vacate wins, including their 2023-24 national title, as a result of the advanced scouting scandal. T
The committee said the Wolverines’ violations included impermissible recruiting inducements and communications, failure to follow head coach responsibility rules, and failure to cooperate and monitor, in addition to the off-campus, in-person scouting scheme.
The NCAA issued Moore a one-game suspension to start the 2026-27 season. The Wolverines previously had Moore on a two-game, self-imposed suspension. He also received a two-year show-cause order, meaning if a school hires him during that period, it would be required to demonstrate why it should not also face penalties as a result of the association.
Former Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh, now the head coach of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, was issued a 10-year show-cause penalty, which won’t begin until 2028, the conclusion of his current four-year show-cause order. He is restricted from all athletically related NCAA activities during that period.
Former Wolverines staff member Connor Stalions was given an eight-year show-cause order. That penalty essentially will serve as an employment ban for Stalions, who the committee said “orchestrated” the impermissible scouting scheme.
The committee said Stalions and others involved “acknowledged and corroborated” their sign-stealing process. He admitted to spending nearly $35,000 on game tickets in 2022 as part of the scheme.
Former Wolverines director of player personnel Denard Robinson was given a three-year show cause order, which will restrict him from athletically-related activities.
“The majority of the violations in this case relate to Stalions’ orchestration of an impermissible scouting scheme,” the committee said. “During the 2021, 2022 and 2023 football seasons, Stalions directed and arranged for individuals to conduct off-campus, in-person scouting of Michigan’s future regular-season opponents.
“In doing so, Stalions purchased game tickets and transferred them to those individuals, who included another staff member, interns and acquaintances of Stalions. The network of individuals was referred to as the ‘KGB.’
“While in attendance, they filmed the signal callers on the future opponents’ sidelines and then provided that film to Stalions. Using the footage they collected — which Stalions referred to as ‘dirty film’ — Stalions then deciphered opponents’ signals.”
Moore, who served as Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator during the scandal, admitted to the NCAA that he deleted a 52-message text thread with Stalions off his personal phone after media reports broke about the scheme. The NCAA said Harbaugh failed to cooperate by refusing to provide records or participate in interviews.
Moore and the Wolverines will host New Mexico in their regular season opener at 7:30 p.m. EDT Aug. 30 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.