On Friday, the Big Ten suspended Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh for the remainder of the regular season in violation of sportsmanship policy over sign-stealing allegations.
The suspension was announced during a game as the third-ranked Wolverines (9-0) head to No. 10 Penn State (8-1).
Big Ten Suspends Coach Jim Harbaugh
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 04: Head coach Jim Harbaugh reacts after a second half touchdown while playing the Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan Stadium on November 04, 2023 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 41-13.
In the recent Conference, Michigan was found guilty of violating the Big Ten's sportsmanship policy for conducting an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of the competition.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti explained the suspension of Harbaugh in a 13-page letter. He said he suspended Harbaugh to allow the team to play out the rest of its season while still deciding on Harbaugh's substantial consequences for violating the Big Ten's policies.
However, Harbaugh could still coach the team for the remainder of the week but was prohibited from the game venue on game days.
The conference said, "It is a sanction against the University that, under the extraordinary circumstance presented by this offensive conduct, best fits the violation."
Michigan president Santa Ono said the school seeks a court order preventing this disciplinary action from taking effect. Ono said that getting a court order before Saturday's game could be difficult as Friday was recognized as a federal holiday for Veteran's Day, and courts in Michigan were closed.
Commissioner Tony Petitti disregarded the conference's handbook, violated basic tenets of due process, and set an untenable precedent of assessing penalties before an investigation has been completed. Ono said he was dismayed at the Commissioner's rush to judgment as there was still an ongoing NCAA investigation.
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Michigan's NCAA Rules Violation
In early November, Petitti said the NCAA had already informed him that the association knew and could prove that former staff member Connor Stalions had organized a scheme that violated NCAA rules.
He also shared that he saw Stalions' master spreadsheet that has arranged a schedule for in-person scouting and received evidence of ticket sales from other Big Ten schools that lined up with the schedule prepared in what the NCAA had shared with him.
He said that Michigan was uncooperative in the process of gathering evidence, which caused a delay in reaching a final decision.
On Saturday, Michigan asked for an extra day for its final disciplinary response. Michigan and Harbaugh's attorneys showed evidence of other schools engaging in schemes to learn the Wolverines' playcalling signs, making it clear the team did not maintain exceptional gamesmanship through any of its staff's efforts.
However, Petitti said that the conference rejected any defense by the University or any other conference member that cheating was acceptable because other teams do it too.
On Saturday in Happy Valley, the Wolverines still have three regular-season games left against Penn State, next at Maryland, and finally at home to face rival Ohio State.
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