NCAA Sends Notice of Allegations to University of Michigan in Sign-Stealing Scandal Involving Connor Stalions

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The NCAA has officially sent its Notice of Allegations to the University of Michigan regarding the controversial case involving Connor Stalions, a figure at the center of an alleged in-person scouting and sign-stealing scheme during the previous college football season. A spokesperson for the Michigan football program confirmed this development to NBC Sports on Sunday.

The Notice accuses a total of seven members from the 2023 Michigan football program, including the team’s current head coach, Sherrone Moore, of violating NCAA rules. Particularly noteworthy is the claim that Moore deleted 52 text messages from a conversation with Stalions in October 2023. These messages have since been recovered, and Moore expressed his eagerness for them to be publicly released.

Moore is under investigation for a potential Level II violation due to the deletion of these messages, which could lead to serious penalties, including a suspension. The NCAA seems to consider him as a possible repeat violator because of a prior investigation related to COVID-era recruiting violations at Michigan. He did cooperate with the NCAA in resolving his previous issues, which facilitated a quicker investigation process.

In addition to Moore, former head coach Jim Harbaugh and two ex-assistants, Chris Partridge and Denard Robinson, are also accused of Level I violations. Stalions himself faces similar accusations, while former assistants Jesse Minter and Steve Clinkscale are linked to recruiting violations unrelated to the sign-stealing case.

The NCAA had refrained from providing details about the allegations, with a spokesperson stating that further comments would not be made to uphold the integrity of the investigation. Meanwhile, Minter and Robinson are reportedly seeking a negotiated resolution with the NCAA, indicating an agreement on their violations. The remaining parties, including Michigan itself, are expected to contest the allegations.

Harbaugh is viewed as a repeat offender due to a previous show-cause order involving a one-season suspension. Though he now coaches in the NFL, any potential hiring would still require explanation to ensure compliance with NCAA rules. This ongoing saga began in late October when reports surfaced about Stalions’ advanced scouting efforts, leading to his resignation on November 3.

The Big Ten Conference acted promptly, suspending Harbaugh for the last three regular-season games last year. With evidence suggesting violations of the conference’s sportsmanship policy, the fallout from this case has been significant. It involved ticket purchases to future opponents’ games and recording their sidelines, which goes against NCAA regulations that prohibit in-person scouting.

Michigan has been given a 90-day window to formally respond to these allegations as the case unfolds further.