NCAA Allegations Hit Michigan Over Football Recruiting Violations

Michigan is under scrutiny as it receives a notice of allegations from the NCAA regarding alleged violations by the football staff during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period, as reported by two university officials to ESPN.

COVID-19 Recruiting Violations

According to sources, Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh is facing a Level I violation for purportedly failing to cooperate or providing false information to NCAA investigators regarding these alleged violations. Additionally, Michigan is grappling with four Level II violations, considered less serious.

In a proactive move, the university imposed penalties in August, enforcing a three-game suspension for Harbaugh at the start of the season and a one game suspension for offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore as part of a negotiated resolution.

These penalties were implemented to cushion the potential impact of NCAA sanctions. They followed the NCAA infractions committee’s rejection of a negotiated resolution involving Harbaugh, which aimed for a four game suspension. In an unusual move, the NCAA issued a statement in August during the ongoing investigation, highlighting the severity of the alleged violations associated with Michigan.

NCAA’s Response and Statement

“The Michigan infractions case is related to impermissible on and off-campus recruiting during the COVID-19 dead period and impermissible coaching activities — not a cheeseburger,” Derrick Crawford, NCAA vice president of hearing operations, said in the statement, referring to the simplistic characterization of the violations in some media reports. “It is not uncommon for the [committee on infractions] to seek clarification on key facts prior accepting. The COI may also reject an NR [negotiated resolution] if it determines that the agreement is not in the best interests of the Association or the penalties are not reasonable. If the involved parties cannot resolve a case through the negotiated resolution process, it may proceed to a hearing, but the committee believes cooperation is the best avenue to quickly resolve issues.”

Notice of Allegations and NCAA’s Investigation

In January, Michigan received a draft of the notice of allegations, outlining the Level I violation against Harbaugh and the Level II infractions, including allegations of an off-field analyst participating in on-field coaching activities. Sources at that time suggested a potential six game suspension for Harbaugh.

Simultaneously, Michigan is facing a second NCAA investigation for prohibited off-campus scouting and signal stealing, allegedly led by former staff member Connor Stalions, who resigned on Nov. 4. While there is no notice of allegations in this case, the Big Ten imposed a three game suspension for Harbaugh under its sportsmanship policy, served during the final three regular season games. Harbaugh may face a Level I charge as a repeat violator under head coach responsibility.

Harbaugh’s Coaching Return

Harbaugh returned to the sideline on Dec. 2 for the Big Ten championship game against Iowa and is expected to coach Michigan on Jan. 1 in the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Alabama at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential.

Response Timeline for Michigan

Michigan now has 90 days to respond to the notice of allegations, after which the NCAA will have 60 days to issue a rebuttal.