College football supporters are expressing their displeasure on social media following the NCAA’s announcement of punishments for Jim Harbaugh and Connor Stalions in the Michigan sign-stealing situation. Even though the NCAA’s punishments may look severe on paper, fans and detractors alike are deeming these punishments ineffective.
Pat McAfee broke down the remarks on X, explaining :
“Connor Stalions has a eight year show-cause which is essentially an employment ban..
Jim Harbaugh has a ten year show-cause that starts in 2028 because he’s already on a four year show-cause from a previous investigation”@PeteThamel #PMSLive https://t.co/fhzeOTjlUZ pic.twitter.com/pp8MqEIz8X
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 15, 2025
The fan reactions started pouring in thick and fast. A fan commented on the entire debacle saying: “Complete joke!”
“Basically nothing lol”, said a fan referring to the severity of the punishment.
“Coaching exile through 2038 is wild”, said another fan.
“And they let them off easy”, remarked a fan.
“8 years is nothing lol also he can be hired on immediately and sit a year out as long as the school can prove he’s doing nothing wrong during that time”, called out a fan.
“Hopefully, he ends up broke, homeless, and living under a bridge”, commented a fan.
“That 20 million is nothing. Take away the ability to make the playoffs for 2 years. They will stop cheating”, suggested a fan.
“Harbaugh is now SYNONYMOUS with cheating at UM”, a fan remarked referencing to Harbaugh’s previous show cause.
“1) Penalties should have also included loss of all TV revenue from the 2023 season. 2) The coaches 2024 salaries should serve as fines for cheating. This would penalize the program without penalizing the current players. Harbaugh and his staff knew the risk was worth the reward!”, articulated another fan on X.
Along with the punishments being as they are, the timing of the punishments adds to the confusion and disbelief factor. Harbaugh’s show-cause penalty is 10 years long, and it won’t start until 2028 when he will have completed a separate 4-year ban.
Institutional Penalties, Lasting Reputational Damage Lingering Over UMich
Michigan, as an institution, faces problems that extend beyond individual punishments. The institution will pay millions in fines and write off reduced scholarships. The recruiting penalties will have a ripple effect on the program for years.
The reputational damage may last longer than any penalty on their finances. Michigan’s national championship in the 2023 season will always have a cloud of competitive fairness over it, regardless of how the NCAA officially rules on the legitimacy of the championship.
The structure of these penalties exposes underlying issues in the way college sports deal with major violations. Stalions has a ban on employment of eight years that runs through Aug. 2033. Stalions also can’t hope to have a return to college football in the latter quarter of his career.
The investigation points to system-wide flaws inside the Michigan program. The NCAA revealed it found that coaches and staff ignored their own rules during Jim Harbaugh’s time, creating an environment where these types of schemes could thrive.
Read More:
- What Did Jim Harbaugh And Connor Stalions Do? Reason Behind Multi-Year Show Cause Penalty Explained
- John Mateer Venmo Controversy Fuels NCAA Betting Concerns As Connor Stalions Fires Back at Media Narrative
- Top 3 Michigan Football Head Coaching Candidates If Sherrone Moore Faces Multi-Year Suspension In Sign-Stealing Scandal
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