NCAA levels sanctions against Michigan football

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When the story first broke regarding the sign-stealing by a staff member of the Michigan football program, my immediate thoughts turned to the historic rivalry between the Wolverines and the Buckeyes of Ohio State.

After years of being dominated by Ohio State, including eight consecutive defeats, Jim Harbaugh, Michigan’s head coach, found himself under tremendous pressure from alumni and powerful boosters to find a way — any way — to beat Ohio State. Thus, there was impetus to cheat the rules of the game to gain victory against the school’s number one rival.

Harbaugh and his staff devised a scheme to beat Ohio State and every other Big Ten opponent on their schedule. Former Wolverines staffer Connor Stalions fell on his sword for the program, as did fellow assistant Denard Robinson, when revelations surfaced that he and other staff members were caught on video at Michigan opponents’ games stealing their signals.

Loyal Michigan people closed their collective eyes to the ongoing scandal as their team was marching towards a national championship. When their team was able to pull off the thievery of their scandalous behavior to beat The University of Washington for the 2023 NCAA Division 1 national football championship, the criticism came long and loud from many circles.

Harbaugh had split the scene as the fires of the scandal were burning hot. He turned over the program to his loyal assistant, Sherrone Moore, as he escaped to the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League. Moore, considered by many to be just as guilty as the departing Harbaugh, got his dream job because he kept his mouth shut while the cheating scandal fire raged out of control around him.

This entire mess came to a head on August 15 when the NCAA leveled record sanctions against Michigan following a thorough investigation. Among the penalties levied are a $20-$30 million fine, stemming from the loss of postseason football revenue for the next two years.

Harbaugh, Moore, Stalions and Robinson, the named principles of the sign-stealing scandal, received 10 years (for Harbaugh), eight years (for Stalions), a three-year show cause order (for Robinson), and a two-year show cause order for Moore, during which, he will serve a three-game suspension — that includes the self-imposed two-game suspension, including the first game of the 2026 college football season.

Moore’s penalty is considered light by many people, who are highly offended by what they consider a slap on the wrist.

And while there are those in the Michigan football family who refuse to see their national football title as tainted, the ruling by the NCAA Committee on Infractions (COI) feels it has done its due diligence on this issue by placing the Wolverines on four years of  probation, a $50,000 fine, plus 10% of the budget for the football program — an acceptable equivalent to the anticipated loss of all postseason competition revenue sharing associated with the 2025 and 2026 football seasons. They will also receive a fine equivalent to 10% of the scholarships awarded in Michigan’s football program for the 2025-26 academic year.

The Michigan football program committed multiple violations over the final three years of Jim Harbaugh’s coaching stint at the school. But so much of that is forgotten by too many Michigan fans who refuse to face the truth: Jim Harbaugh and his staff cheated and got caught in one of the worst scandals in college football history, besmirching the reputation of one of the winningest programs in college football.

For those who differ, consider this: How would you feel if you were one of the players who lost out on a chance to win a national championship, or the college that lost millions of dollars in revenue that comes with a national title?

In a better world, Michigan’s 2023 national championship should be vacated, wiped off the books, with the stiffest fines to be levied as part of the penalty.

Another thought would be to reinstitute the infamous death penalty that destroyed Southern Methodist University’s football program back in 1987 for illegal payments to running backs Eric Dickerson and Craig James years before, as part of 29 violations of NCAA policy. The NCAA’s ruling imposed a two-year ban on the Mustangs’ competition, imposed strict limitations on scholarships, and prohibited televised games.

The SMU team was considered so corrupt that it was the only program in college football history to be completely shut down by the NCAA. The college governing body thought that measures of this type would send a powerful message to potential future cheaters. However, the way things currently stand, those potential future cheaters are probably thinking, “Why not take a chance at cheating to win a national championship if the worst penalty we face will be a fine?” What a horrible message to send to future college football players, fans, and people who genuinely love the game.

Former Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker, the current head of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, will have to weigh that question in his mind as the allegations of Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal have now been proven to be true.

Mr. Baker, I agree with those who say that the penalties imposed on the Michigan football program are inadequate to prevent this situation from recurring in the future.