Okay, so maybe the Michigan Wolverines aren’t as good as we thought. The undefeated Wolverines, who rank No. 2 in the AP college football rankings poll, are now under NCAA investigation for allegedly stealing signs during football games.
No, not the posterboards you see during College GameDay broadcasts, we’re talking about actual play calls and signals relayed from coaches to players mid-game, like what the 2017 Houston Astros got in trouble for.
According to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger and Dan Wetzel, the NCAA is investigating the Michigan football program for allegedly violating rules meant to prohibit teams from scouting opponents in person.
Here’s what a Big Ten spokesperson said regarding the Michigan sign-stealing investigation.
“Late Wednesday afternoon, the Big Ten Conference and University of Michigan were notified by the NCAA that the NCAA was investigating allegations of sign stealing by the University of Michigan football program. The Big Ten Conference has notified Michigan State University and future opponents. The Big Ten Conference considers the integrity of competition to be of utmost importance and will continue to monitor the investigation. The Conference will have no further comment at this time.”
Big Ten Conference’s statement on investigating Michigan for stealing signs
Teams are typically provided with detailed videos allowing them to scout upcoming opponents. But the NCAA is trying to determine whether Michigan used undercover individuals associated with the program to attend games of scheduled opponents in addition to potential College Football Playoff contenders in anticipation of a possible future matchup.
While sign stealing itself is not banned, scouting opponents in person has been outlawed in the NCAA since 1994. Sign stealing is not a violation unless the program feeds the information back to players or coaches involved in the current game. Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh responded to the accusations with a statement later on Thursday.
“I have no awareness of anyone on our staff having done that or having directed that action,” Harbaugh said in his statement. “No matter what program or organization that I have led throughout my career, my instructions and awareness of how we scout opponents have always been firmly within the rules.”
The Wolverines’ upcoming opponent, the Michigan State Spartans, have been made aware of the pending investigation. But two of Michigan’s past opponents told Yahoo Sports that they later learned Michigan was stealing their signs earlier this season.
Here is how Michigan’s schedule has played out so far:
- Michigan 30, East Carolina 3
- Michigan 35, Nevada-Las Vegas 7
- Michigan 31, Bowling Green 6
- Michigan 31, Rutgers 7
- Michigan 45, Nebraska 7
- Michigan 52, Minnesota 10
- Michigan 52, Indiana 7
Michigan has already faced controversy and is still under investigation for a series of potential Level II violations that suggest Coach Harbaugh met with recruits when he wasn’t supposed to, in addition to using too many coaches during practice. Harbaugh was suspended for the first three games of the season due to these allegations, but if these rumors are true, it’s possible the program will face further penalties.
Related: Top 10 college football quarterbacks: See where Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy ranks ahead of Week 8