Michigan is charged with stealing the signs of other teams. This explains why its coach was just suspended for three games.
The University of Michigan football team, which is one of the favorites to win the national championship, is entangled in a purported sign-stealing scheme that includes illegal in-person scouting of opponents dating back up to three seasons.
While the second-ranked Wolverines (9-0) continue their season, the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference, of which Michigan is a member, have been investigating the claims for at least three weeks. Jim Harbaugh, the coach, has denied having any knowledge of any unethical scouting tactics used in his team.
Weeks, if not months, will probably pass while the NCAA looks into this. After a career in Major League Baseball and television, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti decided to take more drastic measures. He prohibited Harbaugh from coaching in the team’s final three regular-season games, including Saturday’s matchup against No. 9 Penn State. Petitti has been in the position for about six months.
Following up on its threat to challenge any discipline in court, Michigan filed a request for a court order late on Friday. Earlier in the season, Harbaugh was suspended by the university for three games due to an unrelated NCAA violations case involving recruiting that is still pending; his team won all three games during that suspension.
