There appears to be a bump in the road between the NCAA and Michigan in their quest for a resolution of alleged violations in Ann Arbor.
A report from Yahoo! late last night shares that a negotiated resolution broke down this week after the NCAA demanded that Jim Harbaugh admit that the lied to investigators.
Yahoo! shares that Harbaugh has acknowledged four Level II violations, acknowledged that they occurred on his watch and apologized.
However, he refuses to "sign any document, or publicly state that he was ever untruthful with the enforcement staff," the report adds.
Harbaugh allegedly maintains that he simply didn't recall certain events when speaking with investigators, but insists he never intentionally misled NCAA investigators.
Earlier this month, the NCAA delivered a notice of allegations stemming from some minor infractions involving recruiting during the COVID dead period and allowing analysts to participate in on-field coaching, as well as a few other things. Those are all relatively minor infractions where you don't see significant punishments handed down.
The issue at hand is lying to NCAA investigators and enforcement staff is a Level I violation, making this minor dust up something that could get much more serious in Ann Arbor.
Punishment for a Level I violation could include in a multi-game suspension for Harbaugh, as well as possible recruiting restrictions for the program.
Harbaugh isn't likely to back down here, and there's really no way I can see the NCAA proving what that he lied on purpose to mislead the investigation, meaning we seem to be at an impasse.
This developing story, along with the police investigation currently ongoing into co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss, will make the situation in Ann Arbor worth keeping an eye in for the foreseeable future.
Earlier this week, after flirting with opening in the NFL for a second consecutive season, Harbaugh signaled his return to lead the Wolverines with an announcement that his "heart is at the University of Michigan."
Meanwhile, the good news for the Wolverines that once the smoke clears of the aforementioned stories, a bunch of players have already committed to returning and a really strong nucleus is set to lead the way for Harbaugh and company in 2023.
The Yahoo! story has a few additional details for those interested in reading it here.
In the meantime, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.