The NCAA has issues. Notice of Allegations to Michigan for sign-stealing scandal.
The Michigan Wolverines football program received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA on Sunday, referring to an alleged sign-stealing scandal that came to light last fall, months before the team won the national championship.
A team spokeswoman confirmed the news to the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
According to the Free Press, seven Michigan workers from the 2023 squad, including first-year coach Sherrone Moore, are involved for allegedly breaching NCAA rules.
The Wolverines will now have 90 days to react in writing to the Notice of Allegations, followed by the NCAA then having 60 days to respond to that. The NCAA would then consider whether a hearing in front of the Committee on Infractions is warranted.
Former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions was accused of buying tickets to games against Michigan’s conference – and possible future College Football Playoff – opponents with the sole intention of sign stealing and scouting so the Wolverines may have an advantage in contests.
According to ESPN, an early draft that the outlet obtained in the beginning of August of the NOA indicated that Moore could face a suspension and a show-cause penalty for allegedly deleting a thread of 52 text messages with Stalions in October 2023, on the same day that the alleged sign-stealing scandal came to light. The early draft is subject to modification.
Per ESPN, the draft indicated that Moore might be accused of committing a Level 2 violation for the deletion of the text messages, which were later recovered using “device imaging.”
Moore could potentially be labeled a repeat offender, after the NCAA in April resolved a separate investigation into the football team, this one pertaining to recruiting breaches during a COVID-19 dead period in 2021.
According to ESPN, former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, former linebackers coach Chris Partridge and former assistant director of personnel Denard Robinson are each accused of Level 1 breaches, the most serious.
Stalions eventually resigned and Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten for the remaining three regular-season games in the aftermath of the probe Harbaugh became the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers in January.
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