Michigan sign-stealing probe is ongoing
The Michigan football program will spend the next three years on NCAA probation. The program will also have to pay a fine and face recruiting restrictions, per the terms of an agreement with the NCAA's enforcement staff.
On Tuesday, the NCAA announced that the university and five current or former members of the football staff accepted the deal, which stemmed from "recruiting violations and coaching activities by noncoaching staff members."
The infractions involved impermissible recruiting and coaching during the COVID-19 dead period. The NCAA sent a formal notice of allegations to the University of Michigan in December.
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The university faces four Level II violations. Level II violations typically carry less serious consequences than Level I violations. The violations in question initially surfaced in January 2023. Former football head coach John Harbaugh faced a Level I violation after he allegedly failed to cooperate with or possibly misled investigators.
Texting during the dead period and allowing analysts to oversee both on-field workouts and activities virtually were among the violations that the NCAA named.
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"The agreed-upon violations involve impermissible in-person recruiting contacts during a COVID-19 dead period, impermissible tryouts, and the program exceeding the number of allowed countable coaches when noncoaching staff members engaged in on- and off-field coaching activities (including providing technical and tactical skills instruction to student-athletes)," the NCAA said in a statement.
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The NCAA also stated that Michigan acknowledged its shortcomings as it related to preventing "the impermissible recruiting contacts."
"The negotiated resolution also involved the school's agreement that the underlying violations demonstrated a head coach responsibility violation and the former football head coach failed to meet his responsibility to cooperate with the investigation. The school also agreed that it failed to deter and detect the impermissible recruiting contacts and did not ensure that the football program adhered to rules for noncoaching staff members."
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As a result, Michigan and multiple staffers agreed to multiple penalties, including a three-year probation. The university will also have to pay a fine and will also face some recruiting restrictions. The coaches who were involved in the violations are subject to a one-year show-cause order.
Michigan went undefeated in 2023 and ended the school's title drought by defeating the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. Harbaugh decided to return to the NFL and agreed to become the next head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers in January.
The NCAA investigation into the allegations that former Michigan football staffer Connor Stallions helped orchestrate a sign-stealing operation is a separate matter and remains ongoing.
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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
