Jim Harbaugh on what it means to be a Michigan Man: “You don’t lie. You don’t cheat. You don’t steal.”
The NCAA on what it means for Jim Harbaugh to be a Michigan Man: “You lie. You cheat. You steal (signs).”
The NCAA infractions committee disciplined Michigan on Friday, announcing penalties for the school’s sign-stealing, including a $20 million fine and an additional game suspension for head coach Sherrone Moore.
Connor Stalions’ advanced KGB scheme — sign stealing via television or replay video is permitted, but in-person scouting of opponents is not — drew scrutiny in 2023, but began two years earlier and spanned 52 games, according to the NCAA. Harbaugh did not cooperate with the investigation. The school previously called the allegations an overreach, characterizing Stalions as a rogue employee, and announced Friday it will appeal the NCAA’s decision.
But miss me with the victory lap, NCAA. This punishment is toothless. There is no postseason ban and Michigan is not required to vacate its 2023 national title.
And the fines don’t exactly cause hand-wringing at a school with a $19.2 billion endowment. The infractions committee admitted a postseason ban was justified, but said it would “unfairly penalize student-athletes for the actions of staff and coaches who are no longer at the school.”
Too bad. And, oh yeah, the current head coach was at the school at the time this scandal occurred. Also, there is this thing called the transfer portal. If Michigan was sidelined from the playoffs, players could leave.
So, the NCAA did not want to unfairly penalize current players at Michigan, but it was OK for Michigan’s opponents to be treated unfairly for three seasons? The committee concluded Michigan cheated, and that Harbaugh “ran a program that was highly dismissive of rules compliance.”
Yet, in the end, Michigan is the one laughing. You don’t think the school would pay $20 million for a national title? That’s what schools spend in NIL money these days.
The infractions committee explained that it could not vacate Michigan’s national title because there was no evidence the school used an ineligible player. Obviously, the rules need to be rewritten with a broader scope.
The NCAA no longer has fangs. And who even knows how much longer it will govern big-time college football? But it had a chance to make a statement on Friday by banning the Wolverines from the postseason for multiple seasons.
Instead, the NCAA took the cowardly way out, establishing hollow consequences for lying, cheating and stealing by Michigan Men and anyone else who wants to follow them.
West is the Best: In most years, the Nuggets’ offseason would have made them favorites to win the NBA title. But the Western Conference has become the SEC to the Eastern Conference’s Pac-12. Just look at the Christmas schedule. There are five games and eight involve teams from the West, including the Timberwolves at Nuggets.
Run for it: CU coach Deion Sanders insists his team will be more physical and emphasize the ground game. Tackle Xavier Hill said he was recruited with that pitch: “We want to have two 1,000-yard rushers. We want those little guys behind us to shine. If they shine, we shine.” If the plan is to run, it makes sense to start quarterback Kaidon Salter in the opener.
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