Michigan Set For Battle With NCAA's Committee On Infractions Over Connor Stalions 'Sign-Stealing' Saga

After a few years of back-and-forth discussions with the NCAA over the Connor Stalions saga, Michigan will meet the committee on infractions inside an Indianapolis conference room on Friday, with both sides ready for battle. 

There will be lawyers, coaches, and more lawyers sitting at a massive table inside NCAA headquarters over the next two days to argue their case over what punishments Michigan should face stemming from the illegal scouting scheme that captivated college football just two years ago. 

But, as the Michigan contingent enters that room on Friday, it will be without President Santa Ono and former coach Jim Harbaugh, both of whom are no longer employees of the school. 

The committee on infractions hearing is a rare ordeal these days, with schools going the route of trying to negotiate a settlement before having to put their fate into the hands of a select few members of a rules panel. Actually, the last time we saw a school go in front of this committee was two years ago, when the University of Tennessee had to defend itself against violations that occurred during the Jeremy Pruitt era. 

While that went in the favor of Tennessee, technically, with a large monetary fine and no bowl ban, this one could go in multiple directions. 

The Wolverines reportedly face eleven NCAA violations, with six of them being Level-1, which are obviously the most severe. And, the one name that will be brought up for most of the hearing will be Connor Stalions, who infamously set up an advanced scouting scheme that saw him run what was seemingly a travel site for his friends to get a good glimpse at how opposing teams were handling their hand-signals during football games. 

Stalions is accused of buying tickets to a plethora of games for teams that would be playing Michigan in the future, sending different people to scout opponents, some of which could've been facing off against the Wolverines in the college football playoff. 

There is also the comedy-like ordeal that saw Stalions on the Central Michigan sidelines as they were playing Michigan State, sporting a goatee, and what looked like glasses with a built-in camera. 

Man, those were some interesting times. But, it's not only Connor Stalions who will hear his name called numerous times on Friday and Saturday. 

Connor Stalions will be a topic of discussion as Michigan and the NCAA face off in Indianapolis today (Credit: Netflix)

Michigan Head Coach Sherrone Moore Will Face Some Tough Questions

While the NCAA is alleging that Michigan ‘failed to monitor’ its program during the Jim Harbaugh era, which led to a national championship in 2023, current coach Sherrone Moore is going to be a hot-button topic of discussion. 

Sherrone Moore, then the offensive coordinator under Harbaugh, deleted 52 text messages from Connor Stalions on the day the investigation into the sign-stealing was reported. And while he did admit to deleting those messages, and turned over his phone to the NCAA, it was not a good look for the current head coach. 

"I’ll just say this — I look forward to them being released. That’s it," Moore said last year about the content of those then deleted messages. 

But the other problem for Sherrone Moore is that the NCAA could characterize the Michigan head coach as a repeat offender. In 2023, then a Wolverines assistant, Moore negotiated a one-game suspension for his role in illegal recruiting during the COVID period. 

For his role in the Connor Stalions ordeal, Michigan decided it would suspend Moore for two games in the upcoming 2025 season. But the caveat to that suspension was that he was allowed to pick which two weeks he'd be away from the team. 

So, he chose the back-half of September, which meant he would be on the sidelines as the Wolverines traveled to Oklahoma in week two for a massive non-conference game. Oh, and it should be noted that Sherrone Moore is a former Sooner, so that made this whole ordeal a tad bit crazier. 

In the eyes of Michigan, they have done what is needed to appease the NCAA for the violations that occurred during the Jim Harbaugh era with Connor Stalions. But, I wouldn't expect the NCAA's committee on infractions to just take the self-imposed penalties that Michigan has levied against itself and call it a day. 

No, when you get to the point where a negotiated settlement could not be reached, that means Michigan is ready for a fight over the next two days. You don't get this far along in the process, with an opportunity to reach an agreement, without a disagreement on potential penalties. 

When Will Michigan Find Out Its Final Penalties? 

If the NCAA's COI decides that Michigan deserves harsher penalties stemming from the investigation, then those could be levied against the Wolverines over the next three months. But knowing how the organization works, this could drag on for a bit, especially if Michigan appeals whatever penalty the NCAA decides on, if any. 

Now, if the committee on infractions miraculously decides not to hand down any further punishment, this could come to an end, sooner rather than later. 

But, as lawyers from all sides stroll into a conference room on Friday, it's hard not to reflect on the past two years and how we got to this point, thanks in large part to a former staffer setting up an alleged scouting scheme that had college football fans in a frenzy during Michigan's national title run. 

We now wait, but thank goodness that refreshing a website (House settlement) is not part of the process of finding out what Michigan's punishment will be.