The Michigan cheating scandal has been on the back- burner for a few months while the NCAA does its investigation. It usually takes the NCAA about 300 days to issue some or all of their findings. However, Dan Murphy and Pete Thamel of ESPN obtained a copy of the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations Draft this weekend, it is subject to some changes, and it does not look good for Michigan. I am using material from their report.
According to ESPN, new Head Coach Sherron Moore could face a show-cause penalty and suspension for allegedly deleting a thread of 52 text messages with Connor Stalions in 2023, the mastermind behind the cheating scandal. The draft states this was the same day the media reported the scandal. The texts were recovered by “device imaging,” then Moore produced them to the enforcement staff. That makes the 5th member of the Michigan staff to be accused of level 1 violations. The Athletic Department also faces level 1 violations due to “a pattern of non-compliance within the football program.” They have also been accused of hindering or tried to thwart the NCAA’s investigation. Former coaches Jesse Minter and Steve Clinkscale are also accused of recruiting violations unrelated to Stalions.
It also stated that Harbaugh did not cooperate with the investigation because he denied the enforcement staff’s request to view relevant messages and phone records from his cellphone. This could be a show-cause violation if he ever returns to college to coach. So far, the draft does not have evidence that Harbaugh was involved however it does state that he failed to look for “red flags” associated with Stalions. The report also alledges that multiple team interns, and at least one full time staff member knew about the scheme and participated in it. The report also states they can prove Stalions was at Central Michigan and Michigan States opener in 2023, he had a bench pass and disguised himself as a Central Michigan coach. Investigators cannot establish how he got the pass.
The report goes on to state other violations by Stalions and others. Stalions would not let the NCAA view his phone or cooperate with the staff. The report goes on, and it is really chilling to discover the level of deceit and cheating the Wolverines and the Athletic department went to to cover this up, if it all gets confirmed in the final report. So far, Michigan has not responded to the report.
As of now, 7 coaches, several players, and interns have all been accused of this. To me, and maybe the entire outside world, it seems that Jim Harbaugh was either the stupidest coach on the planet for having no control at all of his program and not knowing anything about this, or he is as guilty as the rest and a liar. That is why he took off for the NFL. You will never convince me he did not know, nor will you convince me he isn’t stupid for even allowing this to be tried, and then let it happen. Now, it is very possible that a storied, proud program will be tarnished and punished big time for a man who has no redeeming qualities. He can cheat, act innocent, and get a job in the NFL, just like Pete Carrol did at USC.
Remember- HARBAUGH IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED FOR RECRUITING VIOLATIONS ALSO!! Once is an accident; twice is a pattern! The NCAA and the NFL need to sit down and figure out a way to not let this happen. Now, what will the punishment be? I have no faith in the NCAA to do the right thing, they have a miserable track record of being less than, uh, shall we say, equitable when it comes to punishments on offenders.
Ohio State lost a season for players trading clothes for tattoos. This seems a hell of a lot worse than tattoos! We will see, but the sad part for me is a school than some of my friends went to, and played for, are now suffering the embarrassment of this mess, and the piece of human debris that allowed this, Jim Harbaugh, gets a multi-million dollar job and no repercussions! HOW IS THIS FAIR??
Nobody knows for sure what will happen, but if any of this is remotely true, this could set Michigan back 10 years or more. The players who are new there are going to pay for something they did not do. It looks like the men that Moore recruited will possibly be getting a new coach and maybe a whole new staff and athletic department. Who knows?? One thing for sure is the entire Michigan Athletic program, all of them, will suffer, and Jimmy Boy gets paid Millions and can tell everyone about his National Championship! What a loser he is!!
That’s the way I see it……from the sidelines!
