A ruling on the NCAA's pending case against Michigan for its 2023 advance scouting, sign stealing scandal is expected before the season opener, and the Wolverines have a powerful and somewhat unexpected voice in their corner: Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti.
In a letter to the NCAA Committee on Infractions, the Big Ten commissioner argued Michigan has been sufficiently punished for Connor Stalions's advance scouting scheme and that no further punishment is necessary or appropriate. Michigan is facing 11 charges, six of them of the Level 1 variety -- the NCAA's equivalent of a felony. The Wolverines could be hit with a range of punishments from a postseason ban, to vacating victories, to coach suspensions. ESPN reported on the existence of the letter on Monday, which was confirmed by the Big Ten. The conference said Petitti would have attended the COI's hearing and read it in person had he not been recovering from hip surgery at the time.
To date, the only punishment Michigan has received for the scandal was... from the Big Ten.
The conference suspended then-head coach Jim Harbaugh for three games down the stretch run of the 2023 regular season, and Michigan won all three games without him: at Penn State, at Maryland, and home against Ohio State. Michigan initially sued to get an emergency temporary restraining order on the suspension against Harbaugh before backing off and serving the suspension. When Michigan defeated Iowa in the Big Ten Championship the week after Harbaugh's suspension ended, Petitti and Harbaugh did not acknowledge each other on the stage as the Wolverines received their trophy.
The only self-imposed punishment remaining is a 2-game suspension for head coach Sherrone Moore for deleting a text exchange with Stalions; the texts were eventually recovered and did not reveal any incriminating evidence against Moore. Michigan has proposed sitting Moore for their Sept. 13 game against Central Michigan and Sept. 20 at Nebraska. (Michigan visits Oklahoma on Sept. 6).
The Big Ten taking Michigan's side against the NCAA is interesting considering the Wolverines primarily victimized other B1G teams in breaking the NCAA's rule against advance scouting. One wonders if the conference office's position on the Wolverines is shared by the 17 other campuses; we could potentially find out as Big Ten media days take place this week.
Either way, Stalions is no longer employed by Michigan, Harbaugh is now in Los Angeles, and the Big Ten says it's time to move on.