A former Division III football coach has come forward with claims that Connor Stalions, a suspended Michigan offensive analyst, paid him to personally record the signals of upcoming Wolverine opponents during games, as reported by ESPN.
The coach, who chose to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, stated that he attended three different Big Ten games in the past two seasons, two at Penn State and one at Rutgers, to capture these signals. He then shared the footage of these signs in an iPhone photo album. He expressed uncertainty about whether anyone other than Stalions had accessed this footage. In exchange for his services, he alleges to have received “a couple hundred dollars" along with complimentary tickets.
ESPN has found an unnamed former Division III player and coach who claims he was paid to record signals of upcoming Michigan opponents. https://t.co/ViKfd3pk3u
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 28, 2023
Reflecting on his involvement, the coach admitted his discomfort with the situation, acknowledging it as a morally ambiguous area. He remarked, “I didn"t like it, but it"s a gray line. You can call me naive, but no one is reading the bylaws. I"m not a contractual lawyer… I just felt like if you"re not doing it, you"re not trying to get ahead."
The University took action against Stalions when it was discovered that he had purchased tickets for more than 30 games at 12 out of the possible 13 Big Ten stadiums, including four tickets to games featuring out-of-conference College Football Playoff contenders over a three-year span, according to ESPN.
The controversy centers around NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1, which states, “Off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents (in the same season) is prohibited." The act of sign-stealing itself does not inherently violate the rules unless electronic equipment is involved to record and communicate signals during games. Teams typically have access to a significant amount of game film before matchups to prepare for their opponents" on-field strategies.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has denied any knowledge of an attempt to steal opponents" signs and has pledged to cooperate with the NCAA"s investigation. Harbaugh is already facing a separate battle with the NCAA concerning Level II violations, where he is accused of misleading investigators.
