Big Ten Suggests to NCAA That Michigan Has Been Punished Enough for Sign Stealing

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti sent a letter to the NCAA Committee on Infractions suggesting that Michigan’s football program should not face more sanctions stemming from a sign-stealing scheme, according to two people familiar with the situation.

They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because no one is authorized to comment on an ongoing NCAA investigation.

Petitti’s letter was shared during last month’s hearing because he was unable to attend while recovering from hip surgery, Big Ten Deputy Commissioner Diane Dietz said.

ESPN was first to report some details of Petitti’s letter.

The NCAA alleged last year in a notice relating to its sign-stealing investigation that current coach Sherrone Moore violated rules as an assistant under former coach Jim Harbaugh, who served a three-game suspension in exchange for the conference dropping its own investigation into the allegations after the two ended up in court.

After winning the 2023 national championship, Harbaugh left for the NFL to lead the Los Angeles Chargers.

Moore was also accused of deleting text messages with sign-stealer Connor Stalions before they were recovered and provided to the NCAA. Moore has said he has and will continue to cooperate with the NCAA’s investigation.

The NCAA investigation surfaced early in the 2023 season amid allegations that Michigan used a robust in-person scouting and sign-stealing operation conducted by Stalions, a former low-level staffer. He was suspended by the school and later resigned. Stalions, who did not participate in the NCAA investigation, recently said he knew almost every signal that opponents used in seven games over two seasons.

Michigan is prepared to suspend Moore for two games during the coming season. The NCAA will decide if that self-imposed sanction is enough to address allegations that Moore failed to cooperate in an investigation.

The governing body takes three months on average for contested cases to make a final decision.

The Wolverines open the season on Aug. 30 at home against New Mexico State and at Oklahoma, where Moore was an offensive lineman, on Sept. 6.

[MORE: Has The Big Ten Overtaken The SEC as The Most Dominant College Football Conference?]

Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten, three weeks after an investigation by the NCAA into the allegations began. Hours later, Michigan asked a court for an injunction and temporary restraining order and the two sides narrowly avoided a court hearing. Harbaugh has repeatedly denied any involvement with Stalions’ apparent scheme.

The NCAA does not have rules against stealing signs, but does prohibit schools from sending scouts to the games of future opponents and using electronic equipment to record another team’s signals.

Multiple Big Ten schools had records showing ticket purchases under Stalions’ name and video surveillance footage of people in those seats with cell phones pointed toward the field.

Big Ten coaches and athletic directors previously pushed Petitti to punish Harbaugh before the NCAA concluded its investigation. 

When the Big Ten did suspend Harbaugh, Michigan claimed the commissioner overstepped his authority and acted outside the conference’s bylaws.

Athletic director Warde Manuel released a scathing statement just before Michigan kicked off at Penn State and won 24-15 without Harbaugh on the sideline.

“Not liking someone or another university or believing without any evidence that they knew or saying someone should have known without an investigation is not grounds to remove someone from their position before the NCAA process has reached a conclusion through a full NCAA investigative process,” Manuel said then.

The NCAA previously put Michigan on three years of probation, fined the school and implemented recruiting limits after reaching a negotiated resolution in a recruiting case and banned Harbaugh from coaching college football for four years.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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