Last week, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti urged the NCAA not to further penalize the Michigan Wolverines for their alleged involvement in a sign-stealing scandal during the 2023 season.
Petitti said the program has already taken punishments on the conference level by suspending then-coach Jim Harbaugh for the final three regular-season games of 2023. More penalties could hurt the competitive integrity of both Michigan and the conference as a whole, according to Petitti.
Just one week later to this, the NCAA has brought an action against Central Michigan University (CMU) related to the same sign-stealing scandal. A Notice of Allegations (NOA) connected to Connor Stalions has been issued to the university, asking how Stalions was allegedly given access to the Chippewas’ sidelines during a football game held at Michigan State on September 1, 2023.
These claims come with severe Level I infractions. CMU has been asked to make its stance clear on the allegations either through writing or by negotiating a resolution by September 25.
What was the role of Connor Stalions in Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal?
Connor Stalions worked for the Michigan Wolverines as a defensive analyst from May 2022 to October 2023. He was alleged to have prepared a network that would give Michigan an edge by recording coaching signals of their upcoming opponents by attending their games in person. This violated the NCAA’s prohibition on in-person scouting.
Stalions memorized opponents’ signals in at least seven major games. Investigation revealed that he purchased tickets and organized recordings at 58 games involving Michigan opponents between 2021 and 2023.
Central Michigan hit with NOA from NCAA in relation to Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal https://t.co/jfQUUBwnqs
— Freep Sports (@freepsports) July 29, 2025
Stalions was fired by the program after the sign-stealing scandal came to light. Apart from him, Jim Harbaugh, who was the head coach at the time, was served with a three-game suspension. After helping the Wolverines win a national title, he left to coach the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL. Meanwhile, the current head coach, Sherrone Moore, was accused of deleting conversations with Stalions in the wake of the scandal. However, Moore said he’ll be cooperating with the NCAA in the investigation.
In the meantime, Michigan’s athletic director, Warde Manuel, said that the program would uphold high ethical standards and work transparently with NCAA officials throughout the investigation. Earlier in March, Manuel also clarified about the potential postseason ban, penalties in relation to the sign-stealing scandal.
“I have not had any conversation about postseason bans or penalties that are coming,” Manuel said. “What I can point to is that Charlie Baker, when we won the championship, said they won it fair and square. That’s something I can say that gives me some sense that they understand that this was a team who won that championship fair and square. I look at that, and as we move forward, we’ll see how it goes.”
He also reiterated his belief that Michigan won the national title fair and square.
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