In a recent development, Michigan has sent a 10-page letter to the Big Ten conference expressing their concern and urging Commissioner Tony Petitti to hold off on taking disciplinary action against coach Jim Harbaugh.
Michigan urges Big Ten to refrain from taking action over sign-stealing scandal, and to defer to the NCAA. https://t.co/rLZORSHKbi
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 9, 2023
The letter questions the quality of evidence and suggests that the conference is rushing to punish Michigan.
Last week, member schools put pressure on Commissioner Petitti to take action against Michigan promptly.
The belief is that the NCAA’s investigation and subsequent sanctions may take too long to resolve.
Michigan’s letter comes at a crucial time as Petitti allegedly contemplates a multi-game suspension for Harbaugh.
Michigan admits that sign-stealing took place; however, they attribute the entire operation to Connor Stalions, a resigned staff member.
Michigan firmly believes that there is no evidence to suggest that other coaches, including Harbaugh, had any knowledge of Stalions’ actions.
In a separate letter, Harbaugh’s lawyer highlights the existence of legal techniques for studying opponents’ signals, such as reviewing game film.
The objective of this argument is to demonstrate that Harbaugh had no reason to believe that Stalions was violating NCAA rules against advance scouting.
Throughout this process, Michigan is advocating for due process through the NCAA. They aim to convince the Big Ten conference to refrain from taking matters into their own hands.
