Michigan sign-stealing scandal news: Latest updates on Jim Harbaugh suspension from NCAA cheating investigation

Dan Treacy

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Michigan sign-stealing scandal news: Latest updates on Jim Harbaugh suspension from NCAA cheating investigation image

On the field, Michigan is in the midst of what could be a historic season. Off the field, the the focus has rarely been on the team's success.

An investigation into Michigan's alleged sign-stealing scheme, centered on now-fired staffer Connor Stalions, continues to evolve by the hour, with one update after another adding another wrinkle to the saga that began in October. The Big Ten suspended coach Jim Harbaugh for three games on Friday with the team on a plane en route to Penn State, and although Michigan had hoped to block the suspension, the Wolverines will be without their coach on the sidelines in Happy Valley.

The Sporting News is tracking the latest updates from the Michigan sign-stealing scandal. Follow along with the newest developments below.

MORE ON MICHIGAN SIGN-STEALING:

Michigan sign-stealing scandal updates

Friday, Nov. 17

Michigan fires coach connected to destroying evidence in investigation

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger and Dan Wetzel reported on Friday that the NCAA's investigation into the sign-stealing and advanced scouting operation has found that Stalions was at least partially funded by a Michigan booster, named as "Uncle T," and that linebackers coach Chris Partridge, who was fired by Michigan on Friday, is alleged to have destroyed evidence on a computer pertaining to the sign-stealing allegations.

The report states Partridge is not believed to have had prior knowledge of the sign-stealing operation, but then later worked to cover it up. In a statement on his firing, Michigan appeared to indicate a connection between Partridge and the NCAA's investigation, which Dellenger and Wetzel reported is still in the early stage:

From the outset, our focus has been on seeking due process and allowing the NCAA to conduct a fair and deliberate investigation. Although the Big Ten has closed its investigation, we are continuing to cooperate with the NCAA as it moves forward with its ongoing investigation. Consistent with our commitment to integrity, we will continue to take the appropriate actions, including disciplinary measures, based on information we obtain. Earlier today, Michigan Athletics relieved Chris Partridge of his duties as a member of the Michigan Football staff. Due to employee privacy laws, we are unable to comment further."

Because Michigan and Harbaugh on Thursday dropped their litigation against the Big Ten, he will not be on Michigan's sideline this week against Maryland and next week against Ohio State to end the regular season.

Former Wolverines assistant and Harbaugh confidant Biff Poggi on Friday offered his former boss an invitation. Poggi, in his first year as Charlotte's head coach, asked Harbaugh to join the 49ers for their games vs. Rice on Saturday and at South Florida on Nov. 25.

Thursday, Nov. 16

Michigan accepts Harbaugh's three-game suspension

Michigan has dropped its litigation against the Big Ten over Harbaugh's three-game suspension, and it will accept the punishment levied against the head coach.

From Michigan:

"This morning, the University, Coach Harbaugh, and the Big Ten resolved their pending litigation. The Conference agreed to close its investigation, and the University and Coach Harbaugh agreed to accept the three-game suspension. Coach Harbaugh, with the University's support, decided to accept this sanction to return the focus to our student-athletes and their performance on the field. The Conference has confirmed that it is not aware of any information suggesting Coach Harbaugh's involvement in the allegations. The University continues to cooperate fully with the NCAA's investigation.

From the Big Ten:

"The Big Ten Conference's commitment to student-athletes, sportsmanship and the commissioner's duty to protect the integrity of competition will never waver. Today's decision by the University of Michigan to withdraw its legal challenge against the conference's November 10th notice of disciplinary action is indicative of the high standards and values that the conference and the university seek to uphold, the University of Michigan is a valued member of the Big Ten Conference and the conference will continue to work cooperatively with the university and the NCAA during this process."

Monday, Nov. 13

Harbaugh says he'll state his case at Friday hearing

Despite the suspension, Jim Harbaugh held his usual weekly news conference Monday, though he mostly avoided addressing the only topic on anyone's mind. 

He initially told reporters he would speak during a scheduled hearing Friday, but then backtracked a bit and sounded as if he wasn't committed to that course, pending legal advice. 

Sunday, Nov. 12

U-M president praises Wolverines for handling 'challenges and adversity'

The day after the Penn State win, University of Michigan President Santa Ono posted on social media, praising the team's ability to "respond to any challenge head on with a conviction to do better and to emerge even stronger." 

The post drew immediate and extensive blowback on social media and beyond, as observers questioned Ono's tone with Michigan in the midst of a self-inflicted controversy. 

Saturday, Nov. 11

Warde Manuel issues strong statement against Big Ten

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel did not mince words in a statement on the Big Ten's suspension of Harbaugh. He said while the program has been disappointed to hear about the allegations, it also feels that the conference skipped due process of a complete investigation in suspending Harbaugh on Friday.

Manuel described the suspension as "completely unethical" and "an assault on the rights of everyone (especially in the Big Ten) to be judged by a fair and complete investigation." 

"All of the Head Coaches in the Big Ten (some who have been accused of actively participating in the trading of signals of opponents) and my Big Ten AD colleagues can rejoice today that someone was 'held accountable,' but they should be worried about the new standard of judgment (without complete investigation) that has been unleashed in this conference," Manuel said.

Harbaugh will not be on the sidelines vs. Penn State

Michigan filed a temporary restraining order against the Big Ten on Friday night, hoping to block Harbaugh's suspension. But there will not be a ruling before the Wolverines' game vs. Penn State, with the hearing scheduled for Friday, Nov. 17.

Harbaugh hearing coming down to wire before Penn State game

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported it's unclear Harbaugh will be granted a hearing in time to be able to coach against Penn State. With kickoff scheduled for noon ET, Thamel said "the drama's going to go right up 'till noon."

The case is reportedly in the hands of Judge Carol Kunhke, a Michigan alumnus.

Harbaugh was not on the Michigan team bus with other coaches and players when it arrived at Beaver Stadium Saturday morning.

Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore will serve as acting head coach if Harbaugh is not available.

Friday, Nov. 10

Michigan files temporary restraining order against the Big Ten

In an effort to delay Harbaugh's suspension, the university filed a temporary restraining order in Washtenaw County Trial Court on Friday night. If granted, the suspension would be delayed, but the clock is ticking before the Wolverines' game vs. Penn State on Saturday. 

Michigan players respond to Harbaugh suspension

J.J. McCarthy and a handful of other Michigan players tweeted "Bet" at the same time on Friday night, hours after Harbaugh was suspended for the remainder of the regular season. McCarthy wore a shirt that said "Free Harbaugh" when the 59-year-old was serving a separate suspension at the start of the season.

Michigan announces intention to dispute suspension

Michigan has released a statement expressing frustration with the Big Ten's process and says it plans to seek a court order to block Harbaugh's suspension from taking effect.

Big Ten claims no evidence Harbaugh was aware of scheme

While the Big Ten says it's "proven" that an illegal sign-stealing scheme existed, the conference could not prove that Harbaugh knew about it. So, why was Harbaugh suspended? The Big Ten asserts that, because he is the head coach, he has a responsibility for preventing this kind of scheme from taking place.

Jim Harbaugh suspended for remainder of regular season

The Big Ten has officially announced a suspension for Jim Harbaugh for the remaining three games of the regular season, including the Wolverines' rivalry game with Ohio State.

In a statement, the Big Ten said Michigan conducted an "impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years." 

Jim Harbaugh joins Michigan for trip to State College

According to the sleuths on the ground in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh is on the team bus and heading to the airport with his team as Michigan awaits word on a potential suspension. 

Michigan still awaiting word from Big Ten

According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Michigan still hasn't heard about an impending punishment from the Big Ten as its 1 p.m. ET flight looms.

Harbaugh still expected to fly to State College

Dinich reported earlier on Friday that punishment to Michigan could come around the time the team is expected to get on a plane and fly to Pennsylvania for its game against Penn State. But regardless of when the punishment is announced, Harbaugh's attorney, Tom Mars, reportedly told ESPN the coach will be headed to State College.

"I'm confident he's going to be on that plane one way or another," Mars reportedly told ESPN.

Punishment options for Michigan

Dinich has reported the punishment could be anything, ranging from "indefinite suspension to public reprimand or lofty fine." However, she also reported that there is potentially a limit to what the conference can do without permission from an executive board. Anything more than two games or a fine of $10,000 would require special permission.

Punishment expected on Friday

The college football world will wait with bated breath on Friday as it awaits what Michigan and Jim Harbaugh will face from the Big Ten. ESPN's Heather Dinich reported the punishment is expected to be announced early Friday afternoon. She noted the team is leaving for State College at 1 p.m. CT for the Penn State game on Saturday.

Thursday, Nov. 9

Big Ten considering 'range of possibilities' for Harbaugh

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported there are a "range of possibilities" the Big Ten is considering as punishment for Harbaugh. The possibility of a suspension has often garnered most of the headlines, but Rittenberg reported the conference is also considering a significant fine.

Michigan's 10-page letter to Big Ten released

Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel posted Michigan's full 10-page letter to the Big Ten on X (formerly Twitter). The letter outlines Michigan's belief that the Big Ten would be acting too hastily in suspending Harbaugh or levying any punishment toward Michigan before the completion of a full NCAA investigation.

In the letter, Michigan said the university has not had the chance to review all the evidence and respond, which oversteps the due process allowed for Michigan. It said Pettiti should not have unilateral authority to punish violations without first having a completed investigation and then a response from the Compliance and Reinstatement Committee, which would recommend penalties for rules violations.

Michigan noted that regarding evidence, there is nothing it is aware of to claim athletics personnel at Michigan committed the allegations, and said the rule pertaining to electronic recordings of games is limited to the use of field equipment used by the institution for the game it is currently playing. It also said Michigan has not seen much evidence, but rather has just heard a summary of second- and third-hand information.

The letter also said given the use of sign decoding by other universities, there is little reason to believe Stalions' efforts proved meaningful, and pointed out the teams' average margin of victory since Stalions was suspended. It said the information obtained is "at most a reflection of information that teams can and easily do obtain through public and permissible sources," and because of that it is "highly dubious" that Stalions' observations would have a "material effect on the integrity of the competition."

No timetable for Big Ten decision

The Big Ten is reviewing the "lengthy" official response from Michigan and Jim Harbaugh and it's unclear when a potential ruling might come down, says ESPN's Pete Thamel. His colleague Adam Rittenberg reported Wednesday that a decision was expected by Thursday. 

Big Ten commissioner to miss College Football Playoff meeting Thursday

Tony Pettiti is set to be absent from the College Football Playoff meeting set to take place in Dallas on Thursday. That leads to further speculation that punishment could be coming soon in Michigan's sign-stealing scandal.

Wednesday, Nov. 8

Ohio State denies having shared Michigan's play signals with Purdue

Ohio State coach Ryan Day was asked about the allegations that Ohio State had given information about Michigan's signs to Purdue before the Big Ten championship game in 2022. He denied them forthright.

“I can tell you this right now that nobody here did any of that,” Day said, per the Columbus Dispatch. “We went through and made sure we asked all the questions and got our compliance people involved. None of that came back at all. I can answer very strongly that that did not happen.”

Michigan submits response to Big Ten

In the latest step toward a resolution, Michigan has submitted its response to the Big Ten's notice of discipline. ESPN reported earlier Wednesday that no ruling from the conference is expected until Thursday, as the Big Ten is planning to "take time to absorb" what Michigan has to say.

Yahoo Sports obtained a copy of the 10-page letter sent by Michigan to the Big Ten. Within it, the school warned Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti against levying "premature" disciplinary action against Jim Harbaugh and alleged that in-person scouting and sign-stealing are commonplace across the NCAA.

"The conference should act cautiously when setting precedent given the reality that in-person scouting, collusion among opponents, and other questionable practices may well be far more prevalent than believed," the letter read.

Michigan also included with the letter "two attached documents of Michigan's offensive and defensive signs allegedly stolen and shared by other Big Ten teams," per Yahoo Sports.

Conference awaits Michigan response

The Big Ten expects a formal response from Michigan to the notice of discipline by the end of the day Wednesday, ESPN's Pete Thamel reports. His colleague Adam Rittenberg adds that a ruling is expected to come down Thursday.

Tuesday, Nov. 7

Michigan says three other Big Ten schools shared decoded Wolverines signals

While Michigan tries to navigate the storm around its program, the Wolverines are also trying to make one thing clear: they're hardly alone in trying to decipher opponents' signals. 

Michigan has shared evidence with the Big Ten and NCAA showing staff members at Ohio State, Purdue and Rutgers shared intelligence on the Wolverines' signals prior to last year's Michigan-Purdue Big Ten Championship Game, The Athletic reported. 

Documents breaking down Michigan's signals for numerous plays were compiled by Purdue staffers ahead of the game based on information provided by Ohio State and Rutgers football personnel, the report says. The person who supplied the documents told The Athletic he spent 10 to 12 hours per week trying to decode signals based on game video and said the practice of sharing decoded signals with other schools is common. 

However, the primary difference is Michigan is accused of using in-person scouting, which has been prohibited under NCAA rules for nearly 30 years, to acquire its information.

Monday, Nov. 6 

No connection between Buckeyes coach, Michigan investigation

Ohio State coach Ryan Day and his family have no connection to the Big Ten and NCAA investigations into Michigan, Yahoo Sports reported. 

A report emerged over the weekend indicating Day may have had some involvement in the probe into the Buckeyes' arch-rivals, but the NCAA told the Big Ten there are no ties that it knows of between the Ohio State coach and the investigation. 

NCAA shares findings with Big Ten as Harbaugh suspension looms

Yahoo Sports reported Monday that the NCAA shared its investigation findings with the Big Ten, noting that the findings "do not connect the in-person scouting and recording of opponents’ sidelines to Harbaugh."

Still, the conference is considering a suspension for Harbaugh and could hand down punishments before the end of the week. 

Yahoo says a multi-game suspension for Harbaugh is on the table, though Michigan is fully expected to fight a ban if one is handed down. It would be Harbaugh's second suspension of the season, as the Wolverines self-imposed a three-game ban on Harbaugh to start the season amid an NCAA investigation that found Harbaugh lied to investigators.

Saturday, Nov. 4

Harbaugh 'likely' to be suspended

According to The Athletic's Pete Thamel, the Big Ten might be getting closer to handing down a suspension for Harbaugh.

"Over the past few days, Petitti has spoken with the athletic directors, he's spoken with the presidents, he's spoken with the coaches. And the next steps appear that there will be some type of punishment for Michigan. The most likely scenario here is some type of suspension for Jim Harbaugh," Thamel said on ESPN's "College GameDay."

MORE: Why Jim Harbaugh won't find refuge in the NFL

It was reported earlier in the week that coaches were putting pressure on the Big Ten to hit Michigan with some form of punishment, with Purdue's Ryan Walters publicly calling for action and claiming the allegations are no longer simply allegations. 

Harbaugh was already suspended three games at the start of the season, in a ban imposed by the school itself in an attempt to ward off a separate NCAA investigation.

Friday, Nov. 3

Suspended football analyst Connor Stalions resigns

Michigan football analyst Connor Stalions, the focus of the NCAA's investigation, resigned on Friday night, the university confirmed.

In a statement, Stalions' lawyer said that his client hoped to avoid creating more distractions for Michigan and denied that any Wolverines staffer "told anyone to break any rules."

MORE: Who is Connor Stalions?

Stalions is accused of buying numerous tickets to scout future opponents in-person, which is against NCAA rules. The NCAA is also investigating the possibility that Stalions appeared on Central Michigan's sideline in Chippewas gear for a game against Michigan State.

Stalions was suspended by Michigan when the news of his alleged involvement first broke.

Dan Treacy

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Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.