Will the NCAA vacate Michigan football wins, or its title? Urban Meyer weighs in

Michigan is expected to suspend head football coach Sherrone Moore for two games this coming season as part of a self-imposed punishment over the Connor Stalions sign-stealing allegations, renewing talk around whether the Wolverines’ 2023 national title will be vacated.

Not so fast, says former coach Urban Meyer.

“Pump the brakes. Don’t even go there,” Meyer said on The Triple Option podcast.

“When you start seeing about coaches that can’t coach, you know, you went through this, and you see the word ‘show cause, show cause,’ in my understanding, means you can’t coach.

“If someone wants to hire you, you’re not allowed to coach. Obviously, there’s some stuff there, but once again I defer until everything comes out, and I hope it does. I hope everything comes out. At some point you can move past this because this is like a black cloud that’s been hanging for a while.”

Moore, who was Michigan’s offensive coordinator during the team’s national championship season, still faces likely NCAA punishment related to a Level II violation after investigators determined he deleted 52 text messages from Stalions.

The violation could potentially result in a show cause penalty for Moore, who was reportedly connected with Stalions at the time the alleged sign-stealing scheme was active.

Reports emerged last summer that Michigan could face a postseason ban over the issue, as it was believed the NCAA wanted to “make an example” of the school, stemming from an opinion that it was “thumbing its nose” at the NCAA during its investigation. That talk has subsided in the months since then, however.

For his part, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said he hasn’t had conversations with the NCAA about a postseason ban.

And NCAA chief Charlie Baker himself said that he thought Michigan’s national title was legit, likely putting to bed any concerns that the school’s championship would be rescinded.

For what it’s worth, Meyer doesn’t think vacating wins even does anything to impact a team’s legacy.

“Everyone starts laughing,” he said. “Vacate what wins? Seven years ago? Six years ago? Four years ago?

“That has no impact on [anything]. That’s the risk-reward. You can vacate all the wins you want. Obviously, this discussion will come up. You start vacating wins from a national championship season, that’s a problem.”

He added: “The risk-reward is in full effect here. That means there’s no risk and a great reward, I guess, if you do the things they’re doing. So you hear the word ‘vacated wins,’ everybody rolls their eyes in college sports.”

Sign stealing is not itself a violation of NCAA rules, but bylaw 11.6.1 prohibits “off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents” in the same season.

Stalions is alleged to have purchased tickets for dozens of Big Ten games and paid third parties to attend and film opponents’ sidelines to pick up their football signals.

(Meyer)

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