(BCSNN) — The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions has issued its final ruling in the University of Michigan’s sign-stealing investigation, levying significant financial penalties and recruiting restrictions but stopping short of a postseason ban. The decision, announced Friday, stems from a multi-year probe into an elaborate in-person scouting scheme orchestrated by former staffer Connor Stalions.
Michigan was fined $50,000 plus 10% of its football program’s operating budget, and will forfeit postseason revenue shares for the 2025 and 2026 seasons—penalties that could exceed $30 million. The school also faces a four-year probation, a 25% reduction in official visits during the 2025–26 cycle, and a 14-week ban on recruiting communications. Head coach Sherrone Moore received a two-year show-cause order and a third game suspension, adding to the two games Michigan had already self-imposed for the 2025 season.
Former head coach Jim Harbaugh, now with the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, was handed a 10-year show-cause penalty beginning in 2028, while Stalions received an eight-year show-cause. The NCAA cited “overwhelming evidence” of violations, including off-campus scouting and impermissible video recording of opponents’ signals from 2021 to 2023. The panel described the scheme as “one of the most egregious” it had ever reviewed.
Despite the severity of the findings, the NCAA opted against a postseason ban or vacating Michigan’s 2023 national championship. In its report, the committee acknowledged that such penalties were warranted under NCAA guidelines but would unfairly punish current student-athletes for the actions of individuals no longer affiliated with the program.
Michigan announced it will appeal the ruling, arguing that the Committee on Infractions made “fundamental errors in interpreting NCAA bylaws” and reached conclusions “contrary to the evidence—or lack thereof.” Athletic director Warde Manuel and Moore both issued statements supporting the appeal and reaffirming their commitment to compliance.
The scandal first surfaced in October 2023, when reports linked Stalions to a network of individuals attending games to record sideline signals. The investigation revealed that Stalions spent over $30,000 on tickets and coordinated efforts across more than 50 contests. Harbaugh and Moore were cited for failing to cooperate fully with the NCAA’s inquiry.
Michigan opens the 2025 season on Aug. 30 against New Mexico. Moore will serve his two-game suspension in Weeks 3 and 4, with the additional NCAA-imposed suspension set for Week 1 of the 2026 season. As the Wolverines prepare for the new campaign, the fallout from the scandal continues to shape the program’s future both on and off the field.
