NCAA's conclusion to the Michigan sign-stealing investigation hits the Wolverines' wallet hard but little else

Despite the heavy financial penalty, the NCAA Committee on Infractions (COI) did not issue a postseason ban for the Michigan Wolverines. They also did not retroactively strike down any wins from the team's record. 

In their final ruling, the COI stated that there was "overwhelming evidence" showing an "impermissible scouting scheme" at Michigan during the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons, led by former staff member Connor Stalions. The panel also uncovered recruiting violations committed in 2023. All of these infractions occurred during the last three seasons of Jim Harbaugh's tenure as head coach at Michigan. 

The NCAA made it clear it felt it had "sufficient grounds for a multiyear postseason ban," but decided that would be unfair to student-athletes, as the blame lies with staff members who are no longer with the program. However, current Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore didn't come out of the ruling unscathed. 

The COI issued a one-game suspension for Moore in 2026, which was added to the two-game suspension for this year that the university had already imposed on Moore due to the sign-stealing scandal. 

Moore also received a two-year show-cause order, meaning if he were to be fired by Michigan for any reason this year, any potential new employers would have to take extra steps to prove to the NCAA why they should hire someone who violated their rules. Essentially, it would be nearly impossible for Moore to coach again until the order expired.

Harbaugh was given a 10-year show-cause order, which, in addition to the previous four-year show-cause order already in effect, means he won't be able to coach college football again until 2038. Of course, Harbaugh is once again a head coach in the NFL, this time in charge of the Los Angeles Chargers and looking to help quarterback Justin Herbert have a real run in the postseason.

So, the new penalty for Harbaugh means almost nothing. Still, it is certainly a blemish for Michigan's program as it paints a picture of a defiant football program that didn't care for the rules or how its actions would impact the university. But that's all it appears to be: a blow to Michigan's reputation and wallets for two years, with hardly any steps taken to prevent cheating like this from happening again.

The players rightly don't deserve any blame; they couldn't have known their scouting reports were aided by a staff member filming their opponents' coaches on the sidelines. It's hard to fathom a head coach being so lax in how he receives reports from his staff. But it's not so hard to fathom a coach — or an entire program — refusing to think they should do anything different if the team is winning, which Michigan did plenty of under Harbaugh.