On Friday afternoon, the Big Ten Conference announced the suspension of Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh for the remainder of the regular season.
The suspension comes in response to the recent allegations of Michigan stealing the on-field signs of opponents through advanced scouting allegedly done by former Wolverines analyst Connor Stalions.
Last week, the 13 other Big Ten coaches, including Ohio State’s Ryan Day, spoke on a conference call with commissioner Tony Petitti urging him to take action regarding Michigan and its perceived unfair advantage in games dating back to the 2021 season.
The Big Ten said in a statement Friday that the Wolverines were found to be in violation of the conference’s sportsmanship policy, stating:
“The Big Ten Conference expects all contests involving a member institution to be conducted without compromise to any fundamental element of sportsmanship. Such fundamental elements include integrity of the competition, civility toward all, and respect, particularly toward opponents and officials.”
Harbaugh’s suspension will see him banned from the sidelines on game days, but he will be able to perform his duties outside of games. This means Harbaugh will not be on the sidelines Saturday when the Wolverines take on Penn State in Happy Valley. If the suspension sticks, he also will not be on the field for the Nov. 18 game at Maryland or the annual rivalry matchup against the Buckeyes on Nov. 25 in Ann Arbor.
University of Michigan president Santa Ono sent a 10-page letter to the Big Ten earlier this week, stating that the conference would be ignoring due process as the NCAA has yet to conclude its investigation, and any punishment dealt before the NCAA’s findings were made public would lead to the University taking legal action against the conference. In that time, reports have surfaced that Ohio State and Rutgers have translated Michigan’s on-field signs and shared those with other Big Ten opponents — a similar “unfair” advantage that seemingly hasn’t worked out for the Buckeyes or Scarlett Knights.
Stalions resigned last week, stating that his continued employment (he was in indefinite suspension) was too much of a distraction for the Wolverines.
Harbaugh already served a University-imposed three-game suspension to start the 2023 season in relation to alleged recruiting violations by the coach. If the suspension sticks, Harbaugh will have missed six games in total for the 2023 season.
The suspension does not prevent Harbaugh from coaching in the Big Ten Championship game on Dec. 2 in Indianapolis or any postseason game — be it a bowl game or the College Football Playoffs.
As for the NCAA, the investigation is ongoing and will likely extend beyond the conclusion of the season.
For some, a three-game suspension may seem like a slap on the wrist while others will argue that the Big Ten isn’t allowing due process to run its course.
