As Michigan prepares to defend its 2023 national championship, the Wolverines remain under NCAA investigation.
Michigan has received its Notice of Allegations from the NCAA in regards to the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal.
The NCAA also recently issued a punishment for former head coach Jim Harbaugh for its investigation into recruiting violations.
On Wednesday, Michigan AD Warde Manuel shared the school’s approach toward the ongoing investigations, indicating that they are “going to fight when we need to fight” but also “have a responsibility to adhere to rules that we agreed to participate in.”
“Well, first of all, we’re going to fight when we need to fight, but also we’re going to — where we have made mistakes, we’re going to admit them and deal with it,” Manuel said . “And so, I don’t want people to think because we don’t talk about it publicly, and I can’t, that we’re not going to fight for what we think is right for the University of Michigan and for the people that are here. We are.”
Harbaugh was suspended for three games last season amid the beginning of the sign-stealing scandal. Stalions also resigned from his position.
In terms of potential punishments from the NCAA, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg thinks a postseason ban is “unlikely.”
“The key to watch, Kevin, is Sherrone Moore,” Rittenberg said Tuesday . “Most of the people involved in the investigation that were named in the Notice of Allegations are no longer at Michigan, including Connor Stalions, of course. But Sherrone Moore, who’s the head coach, is named in there as far as Level II violations. He could face a suspension, he could face penalties related to recruiting.
“Now, as far as the program goes, it could be a wide range of things. A fine, maybe a postseason ban – although that seems increasingly unlikely with the way the NCAA is handling these infractions cases. And in the documentary you mentioned, Connor Stalions does face a three-year ban from coaching. He still very much wants to coach, and he intends to challenge that ban, according to the documentary.”
Related: The Spun’s Most Annoying People In Football Media: Sweet 16