What we know about the Michigan football sign-stealing scandal

What we are aware of the issue involving the theft of football signs at Michigan

The football team at the University of Michigan is involved in a practice known as sign-stealing, which has been around for as long as college football itself.

On Friday, Michigan placed the Stalions on paid suspension pending the conclusion of the inquiry being conducted by the NCAA.

A member of the staff at the University of Michigan has been accused of purchasing tickets the games against opponents from the team’s conference as well as probable future opponents in the College Football Playoff with the sole intention of sign-stealing or scouting in order to provide the Wolverines with an advantage in games.

Connor Stalions, the employee in question, has been placed on administrative leave by the institution, and the NCAA has also opened an investigation.

Jim Harbaugh, the head coach for the team, has denied having any role in the plan to take signs.

Not because of the supremacy it has shown this season with probably coach Jim Harbaugh’s best squad, but possibly because of the way it got there, Michigan has grown into the most significant narrative in college football. This is not because of the dominance it has showed this season.

Information has been coming in thick and fast ever since it was made public a week ago indicating that the NCAA is looking into allegations that the University of Michigan stole off-campus signals.

According to the first allegation by ESPN, a low-level staff worker named Connor Stalions lies at the core of the investigation being conducted by the NCAA.

He bought tickets to matches involving teams from other Big Ten conferences as well as those that Michigan could face in the College Football Playoff.

According to reports, he oversaw a “elaborate” system for scouting and swiping signs from opposing teams.

Harbaugh, who is already under investigation by the NCAA for recruiting violations in the COVID-19 dead period, has denied asking any staff member to undertake off-campus scouting and has denied having been aware of illegal signal poaching within the school.

The NCAA is already investigating Harbaugh for recruiting breaches during the COVID-19 dead period.

An external investigative business provided the NCAA some the proof of signal stealing that it had received from computer disks that were used by Michigan coaches, according to a report that was published in The Washington Post on Wednesday. This report sparked a new round of inquiries into the matter.

At this point, very little information is available regarding the breadth of the inquiry being conducted by the NCAA.

The practice of stealing signs has historically been considered more a matter of honor than of strict policing.

However, taking signs without permission is not allowed unless it is done in person and while the game is still in progress.

The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether or whether the University of Michigan sent personnel or third-party proxies to the home games of potential opponents in order to acquire intelligence on how those opponents call their plays. It is believed that this process might have started as early as the year 2021.

In addition, it constitutes a violation of the rules for schools to employ any kind of recording device in an effort to steal signs, as opposed to simply capturing on-field play for the sake of scouting.

According to statements made by two of Michigan’s opponents in the 2023 game, they were informed that the Wolverines were familiar with their play signs.

At this point, it is unknown whose clubs served as these rivals; nevertheless, there is widespread conjecture that Rutgers may have been one of the teams in question.

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights were defeated by the Michigan Wolverines by a score of 31-7 in a game in which Rutgers quarterback Kyle Monangai struggled with carrying the ball 11 times for 27 yards (2.5 YPA), while having a season average of 5.6 yards per carry against opponents who were not from Michigan.

Within a short period of time, the football team at the University of Michigan went from being very probably the finest version throughout itself in the long and illustrious history of the program to becoming the “Cheaters and Best” joke of the nation.

As a graduate of the University of Michigan who has avidly watched the highs and lows of this team for the better part of the last quarter century, this is the question that interests me the most.

It doesn’t go against the regulations, as the majority of the other teams have done the same thing.

However, the question that ought to concern the most of the NCAA investigators with Harbaugh squarely in his sights is not whether the University of Michigan may benefited from stolen signage. Naturally, they have done so.

What the NCAA needs to do now is uncover proof that Michigan gone beyond the accepted techniques of interpreting indicators, such as sending a staff member or someone only loosely linked with the team to a prospective opponent’s game and obtaining knowledge in person.

In other words, the NCAA needs to find evidence that Michigan went above and beyond what is considered acceptable.

If the NCAA Keystone Kops are successful in gathering evidence to show that Michigan broke this rule, then it’s a horrible look onto the Wolverines, and they’ll pay for the error that they made.

If it is found out that Harbaugh was aware, then the punishment will be significantly increased, and he will be hanged on the internet gallows as a hypocrite for claiming to be morally superior.

Some of his numerous detractors are already there is but I’d advise them to hold off until they have all the information before they hang the man.