Michigan football news: The NCAA dropped a bombshell on Wednesday – a four-year show-cause order against former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, effectively benching him from college athletics until August 2028. This ruling is a result of Harbaugh’s impermissible contact with recruits and players during the COVID-19 pandemic when access was restricted. The order not only casts a long shadow over Harbaugh’s coaching future but also sends ripples through the world of college football.
According to the NCAA, Harbaugh “engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated head coach responsibility obligations.” The decision, classified as Level I-Aggravated, includes a one-season suspension as part of the show-cause order.
If any school wishes to hire Harbaugh during this period, they would need to suspend him for the entirety of the first season of his employment. After that, he would remain restricted from athletics-related activities, including team travel, practice, video study, recruiting, and team meetings until the order’s expiration.
This development is separate from the ongoing investigation into Michigan’s alleged sign-stealing scandal and in-person scouting violations, which led to a three-game suspension imposed by the Big Ten Conference last season. Harbaugh’s departure from Michigan football to coach the Los Angeles Chargers, following the Wolverines’ national championship season, complicates the narrative further.
Harbaugh’s attorney, Tom Mars, blasted the NCAA’s decision, stating on social media, “The way I see it, from coach Harbaugh’s perspective, today’s [Committee on Infractions] decision is like being in college and getting a letter from your high school saying you’ve been suspended because you didn’t sign your yearbook.” Mars expressed frustration, adding, “If I were in coach Harbaugh’s shoes and had an $80 million contract as head coach of the Chargers, I wouldn’t pay any attention to the findings of a kangaroo court.”
The ongoing sign-stealing investigation remains unresolved, with the potential to lead to even harsher penalties if Michigan is deemed a repeat offender. Meanwhile, new Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore faces allegations of violating NCAA rules related to the investigation.
Moore, who was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach after Harbaugh’s departure, has been accused of deleting messages with Connor Stalions, the former recruiting staffer at the center of the scandal. The NCAA has recommended a less severe Level 2 violation for Moore, who is alleged to have provided recovered messages to the NCAA.
In the midst of all this, Stalions remains silent, though he is expected to speak out in a Netflix documentary titled “Sign Stealer” on August 27. As for Harbaugh, he continues to assert his innocence regarding the sign-stealing allegations, stating, “I do not apologize. I did not participate. I was not aware nor complicit in those said allegations.”
