REVEALED: The Michigan Wolverines ‘discovered a booster personally funded sign-stealing scheme’ before agreeing to accept the Big Ten’s decision to suspend coach Jim Harbaugh for three games.
According to ESPN, the University of Michigan obtained evidence this week indicating that a football team booster personally funded the program’s illegal sign-stealing operation run by former staff member Connor Stalions.
The alleged booster has not been publicly identified.
The ESPN report comes after the school agreed to accept the Big Ten’s punishment for the alleged scheme. Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh will serve the remainder of a three-game suspension from the Big Ten in exchange for the conference ending its investigation into a scheme to steal opponents’ play-calling signals, the school announced Thursday.
On Friday, the Wolverines fired linebackers coach Chris Partridge, who was caught tampering with the ongoing investigation, according to multiple reports.
Warde Manuel, athletic director, declined to comment on why Partridge was let go, citing employee privacy laws. Partridge allegedly attempted to conceal evidence after the scheme was revealed, according to Yahoo Sports, citing unnamed sources. Partridge did not respond to an Associated Press text message seeking comment.
‘From the beginning, our focus has been on seeking due process and allowing the NCAA to conduct a fair and deliberate investigation,’ Manuel said, adding that the university would continue to cooperate with the investigation. ‘In keeping with our commitment to integrity, we will continue to take appropriate actions, including disciplinary measures, based on the information we obtain,’ says the statement.
The parties’ agreement was an unexpected twist in a month-long saga involving one of college football’s most recognizable programs, one of its most successful coaches, and allegations that a low-level Michigan staffer purchased tickets to future opponents’ games and sent people to those games to digitally record teams signaling in their plays.
‘Coach Harbaugh decided to accept this sanction with the university’s support in order to return the focus to our student-athletes and their performance on the field,’ Michigan said in a statement. ‘The conference has confirmed that it is not aware of any evidence linking Coach Harbaugh to the allegations. The university is continuing to fully cooperate with the NCAA’s investigation.’
The Big Ten suspended Harbaugh last Friday, three weeks after the NCAA launched an investigation into the allegations. Michigan requested an injunction and temporary restraining order hours later, but Harbaugh did not coach the team against Penn State on Saturday.
The two sides were scheduled to appear in court Friday in Ann Arbor, but Michigan and Harbaugh dropped the complaint, and Harbaugh will miss games against Maryland on Saturday and No. 3 Ohio State at home on Nov. 25.
During the week, he will be allowed to coach the team. The penalty is only applicable on game days.
‘The University of Michigan is a valued member of the Big 10 Conference, and the Conference will continue to work cooperatively with the University and the NCAA during this process,’ according to a statement from the Big 10.
No. 2 Michigan is one of the favorites to win a national championship and is aiming for its third consecutive Big Ten title and College Football Playoff appearance.
The NCAA investigation began four weeks ago, following allegations that Michigan used a robust in-person scouting and sign-stealing operation led by Connor Stalions, a recruiting analyst who has since resigned after being suspended by the school. The Big Ten said at the time that it was also investigating the allegations.
The NCAA has no rules against stealing signs, but it does prohibit schools from sending scouts to future opponents’ games and from using electronic equipment to record another team’s signals.
The NCAA process is slow, but the Big Ten’s rules allowed Commissioner Tony Petitti to impose discipline more quickly. It imposed a three-game suspension on Harbaugh, which the school immediately challenged.
University officials decided to settle the case because the Big Ten refused to reduce Harbaugh’s suspension to two games. According to a person familiar with the situation, the school also did not want to drag the dispute into court and negotiated for the conference to end its investigation.
