University of Michigan football sign-stealing scandal

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In 2023, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) opened an investigation into a potential sign stealing scandal by staff members of the Michigan Wolverines football team.[1][2][3]

Background[edit]

Sign stealing refers to the practice of covertly identifying the hand signals used by opposition coaches to instruct their players during a game. For most of the history of college football, sign stealing was not an issue. Traditionally, teams would huddle between snaps, with plays frequently sent in by player substitution. However, with the increasing emphasis on no-huddle offenses in the 21st century, signaling plays from the sideline became necessary, prompting teams to attempt to steal opponents' signs.[4]

The NCAA does not directly ban sign stealing in football, but does ban teams from using electronic equipment to record opponents' signals. The Michigan investigation specifically centers on NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1, which states "Off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents (in the same season) is prohibited, except as provided in Bylaws 11.6.1.1 and 11.6.1.2", with neither exception applying in Michigan's situation.[4][5] This rule was adopted in 1994 due to dramatic differences in athletic program resources among NCAA members. In 2023, according to Associated Press journalist Ralph D. Russo,

Programs such as Michigan, Ohio State, Texas and Alabama have annual athletic budgets that surpass $200 million, almost double some of those even in their own Power Five conferences. Go outside the Power Five and even the biggest-spending major college football schools have budgets closer to $50 million than $100 million.[4]

Visible signals are necessary because the NCAA currently prohibits the use of coach-to-player audio technology (except in bowl games[4]), also due to differing program resources.[6]

The scandal[edit]

Michigan staffer Connor Stalions, who resigned in light of the scandal.

On November 3, 2023, Wolverines staffer Connor Stalions,[7] who was at the center of the scandal, resigned.[8][7] However, the investigation continued.[9] On November 6, 2023, a former employee of a rival Big Ten team, linked multiple college football teams to the sign-stealing scandal as well and claimed to the Associated Press that it was his job to steal signs and that he was given details from multiple league schools, allowing him to compile a spreadsheet of play-calling signals used by Michigan.[10] The employee, speaking anonymously, provided documented evidence to back his claim.[10] The same day, Central Michigan University, a Mid-American Conference program, became a party to the investigation against the Wolverines.[11][12] Evidence suggested potential off-campus scouting violations, as a man resembling Stalions attended a game Central Michigan played against Michigan State on September 1, 2023.[11][12]

On November 7, a University of Michigan source alleged to The Athletic that Rutgers, Ohio State and Purdue had stolen Wolverine sign signals and shared them as well, with documented evidence backing this claim. Michigan says Purdue, Ohio State, and Rutgers decoded and shared signs used by Michigan. Evidence was also submitted by Michigan showing that prior to Michigan's victory over Purdue in the 2022 Big Ten championship game, Rutgers shared defensive signals with Purdue, while Ohio State shared offensive signals.[13] Documents also showed evidence of sign stealing for a game one of the teams played against the Wolverines in 2020 as well.[14] A Freedom of Information Act request filed by the Detroit Free Press revealed that Stalions filed no expense reports while employed by the University.[15]

On November 6, 2023, the NCAA reported that they found no connection between head coach Jim Harbaugh and the illegal sign-stealing done by Stalions.[16] Despite this, on November 10, 2023, the Big Ten Conference ultimately decided to suspend Harbaugh for the final three games of the 2023 season, starting with the game which the Wolverines would play against Penn State on November 11.[17][18] On November 16, 2023, Harbaugh decided to cancel a planned court hearing and accept his three-game suspension.[19][20] The same day, it was also revealed that the Big Ten had agreed to end its role in the sign stealing investigation.[19][20]

On November 17, 2023, Wolverines linebackers coach Chris Partridge was fired for allegedly instructing current members of the football team how to respond to questions relating to the sign-stealing scheme.[21] Partridge later released a statement on Twitter saying that his termination was due to a failure “to abide by the University directive not to discuss an ongoing NCAA investigation with anyone associated with the Michigan Football Program.”[22] It was also revealed that the NCAA investigation was still ongoing.[23]

After Michigan defeated Washington in the CFP National Championship Game, NCAA President Charlie Baker came out and issued a statement that Michigan won the national championship “fair and square.” Baker stated that he defended his decision to inform the university and the Big Ten during the season that the NCAA was investigating the allegations due to his concern that it may have been impacting the outcome of games. He concluded that “I don’t believe at the end of the season it did. And I think that’s important.”[24]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Purdum, David (October 19, 2023). "NCAA investigating No. 2 Michigan amid sign-stealing allegations". ESPN. Associated Press. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  2. ^ Russo, Ralph D. (October 21, 2023). "No. 2 Michigan suspends staffer after NCAA launches investigation into allegations of sign-stealing". Associated Press. Associated Press. Retrieved November 1, 2023. No. 2 Michigan announced Friday it has suspended a low-level football program employee a day after disclosing it is under NCAA investigation for allegedly stealing the play-calling signals used by Wolverines opponents.
  3. ^ Bonesteel, Matt (October 26, 2023). "The Michigan sign-stealing scandal: What you need to know". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 1, 2023. The Michigan sign-stealing scandal has become the talk of this college football season.
  4. ^ a b c d Russo, Ralph D. (October 22, 2023). "Investigation of Michigan for sign-stealing stems from NCAA rules made to curb financial advantages". Associated Press. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "Bylaw 11.6.1: Off-Campus, In-Person Scouting Prohibition" (PDF). 2023–24 NCAA Division I Manual. NCAA. August 5, 2023. p. 29. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  6. ^ Russo, Ralph D. (November 10, 2023). "Michigan is accused of stealing other team's signs. Here's why its coach just got banned for 3 games". Associated Press. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Culpepper, Chuck (November 4, 2023). "Connor Stalions, the Michigan man caught in a scandal, was built for this". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 7, 2023. For two weeks running, the country has familiarized itself with the name 'Connor Stalions,' with pundits extolling the storybook tenor of the name itself. The name surfaced as reports pinpointed Stalions as the focus of an investigation into an elaborate scheme of scouting future opponents that would violate NCAA rules.
  8. ^ Evan, Jace; Gardner, Steve; Axxon, Scooby (November 3, 2023). "Connor Stalions, Michigan football staffer at center of sign-stealing scandal, resigns". USA Today. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  9. ^ Kevin Skiver, USA Today Network (November 4, 2023). "Michigan football sign-stealing: Jim Harbaugh reportedly could be suspended by Big Ten". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Lage, Larry (November 6, 2023). "Ex-college football staffer shared docs with Michigan, showing a Big Ten team had Wolverines' signs". Associated Press. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Rittenberg, Adam (November 6, 2023). "NCAA joins Central Michigan investigation of sideline staffer". ESPN. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Paul, Tony (November 6, 2023). "CMU cooperating in NCAA's investigation into Michigan's alleged sign-stealing scheme". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  13. ^ "Sources: Michigan says Rutgers, Ohio State, Purdue shared its signs". ESPN. November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  14. ^ Forde, Pat; Johnson, Richard (November 7, 2023). "Rivals Decoded Michigan's Signals—and Shared Them With Another Big Ten Team". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  15. ^ Garcia, Tony (November 15, 2023). "Michigan has no records of Connor Stalions filing any expense reports, FOIA request shows". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  16. ^ Hole, Isaiah (November 6, 2023). "Yahoo: NCAA finds no connection between Jim Harbaugh and illegal sign stealing". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  17. ^ Schlabach, Mark; Rittenberg, Adam (November 10, 2023). "Why Big Ten suspended Michigan's Jim Harbaugh and what's next". ESPN. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  18. ^ Backus, Will (November 11, 2023). "Jim Harbaugh suspension: Michigan legal action not heard before Penn State kickoff; Sherrone Moore will coach". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Russo, Ralph D.; Lage, Larry (November 16, 2023). "Harbaugh to serve out suspension, Big Ten ends Michigan sign-stealing investigation in settlement". Associated Press. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  20. ^ a b McMann, Aaron (November 16, 2023). "Michigan's Jim Harbaugh accepts suspension as Big Ten ends its investigation". MLive Media Group. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  21. ^ Dellenger, Ross; Wetzel, Dan. "Sources: NCAA's evidence vs. Michigan included booster involvement in scouting scheme, attempted destruction of evidence". Yahoo. Yahoo. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  22. ^ @CoachCPartridge (November 27, 2023). "Chris Partridge statement" (Tweet). Retrieved January 20, 2024 – via Twitter.
  23. ^ Chengelis, Angelique S. (November 17, 2023). "Michigan fires LB coach Chris Partridge". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  24. ^ Russo, Ralph D. (January 10, 2024). "NCAA President Charlie Baker: Nobody can say Michigan didn't win national title 'fair and square'". Associated Press. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
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