NCAA issues Notice of Allegations to Michigan for sign-stealing scandal
The Michigan Wolverines football program received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA on Sunday, pertaining to an alleged sign-stealing scandal that came to light last fall, months before the team won the national championship.
A team spokesperson confirmed the news to the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press, which is part of the USA TODAY Network. According to the Free Press, seven Michigan staffers from the 2023 team, including first-year coach Sherrone Moore, are implicated for allegedly violating NCAA rules.
The Wolverines will now have 90 days to respond in writing to the Notice of Allegations, followed by the NCAA then having 60 days to respond to that. The NCAA would then determine whether a hearing in front of the Committee on Infractions is necessary.
Former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions was accused of buying tickets to games against Michigan's conference – and possible future College Football Playoff – opponents with the sole purpose of sign stealing and scouting so the Wolverines could have an advantage in games.
According to ESPN, an early draft that the outlet obtained in the beginning of August of the NOA indicated that Moore could face a suspension and a show-cause penalty for allegedly deleting a thread of 52 text messages with Stalions in October 2023, on the same day that the alleged sign-stealing scandal came to light. The early draft is subject to change.
Per ESPN, the draft indicated that Moore could be accused of committing a Level 2 violation for the deletion of the text messages, which were later recovered via "device imaging."
Moore could potentially be considered a repeat offender, after the NCAA in April resolved a separate investigation into the football program, this one related to recruiting violations during a COVID-19 dead period in 2021.
According to ESPN, former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, former linebackers coach Chris Partridge and former assistant director of personnel Denard Robinson are each accused of Level 1 violations, the most serious.
Stalions eventually resigned and Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten for the final three regular-season games in the aftermath of the investigation.
Harbaugh became the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers in January.
Yahoo Sports was the first to report the news of Michigan receiving the NOA.
Contributing: Scooby Axson and Steve Gardner