The NCAA has imposed significant penalties on the University of Michigan, including fines expected to exceed $20m, and a three-game suspension for coach Sherrone Moore, following a protracted sign-stealing scandal that has overshadowed the college football programme for nearly two years.
Moore, who had already been issued a self-imposed two-game suspension by Michigan, will now also be banned from the first game of the 2026-27 season, completing his three-game total. He has also been issued a two-year show-cause order, though he will be permitted to fulfil coaching commitments.
The financial sanctions are substantial, comprising a $50,000 fine, a 10 per cent fine on the football programme’s budget, a 10 per cent fine on Michigan’s 2025-26 scholarships, and a penalty equivalent to the anticipated loss of postseason revenue for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Further restrictions include a 25 per cent reduction in official visits during the upcoming season and a 14-week prohibition on football recruiting communications throughout the probation period.
Connor Stalions, a former low-level staffer who orchestrated the scouting and sign-stealing operation, has received an eight-year show-cause order. Jim Harbaugh, the former Michigan coach, faces a 10-year show-cause order, effective from August 2028, following the conclusion of his previous four-year order. Both Stalions and Harbaugh are prohibited from engaging in all athletically related activities.
While the NCAA does not explicitly ban sign-stealing, its rules prohibit schools from sending scouts to future opponents’ games and using electronic equipment to record another team’s signals. The NCAA’s investigation, which surfaced early in the 2023 season, alleged that Moore violated rules as an assistant under Harbaugh, including accusations of deleting text messages with Stalions before their recovery. Harbaugh, who departed the Wolverines after their 2023 national championship win to coach the Los Angeles Chargers, previously served a three-game suspension in connection with the Big Ten’s investigation into the allegations.
Stalions, who did not participate in the NCAA investigation, recently claimed to have known almost every signal used by opponents in seven games over two seasons. Despite Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti’s recent suggestion that Michigan’s football programme should not face further sanctions, the NCAA has proceeded with these significant penalties.
Michigan is set to open its season on 30 August at home against New Mexico State, followed by a match against Oklahoma on 6 September.
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