Michigan Sent Notice of Allegations Regarding Sign-Stealing Investigation

Michigan was sent a formal notice of allegations regarding an alleged sign-stealing operation from the NCAA on Sunday.

The notice of allegations sent by the NCAA was a document mostly unchanged from the draft version sent to Michigan earlier in August, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

In a statement sent to CBS Sports, the NCAA confirmed it had handed Michigan its notice of allegations.

“The NCAA can confirm that a notice of allegations has been distributed to the school and involved parties in the Michigan investigation. To protect the integrity of the infractions process as the case progresses forward, the NCAA will not provide any comment on the specifics included.”

In the draft of the notice of allegations obtained by ESPN, current Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore was accused of committing a Level 2 violation from the NCAA for deleting a thread of 52 messages with former Michigan recruiting analyst Connor Stalions the same day that media outlets identified Stalions as a leader of the alleged sign-stealing operation.

As stated in the draft according to Dan Murphy and Thamel, Moore could be considered a potential repeat violator after negotiating a resolution to previous COVID recruiting violations. The draft stated Moore could face a potential show-cause order and suspension.

The draft released in early August stated that former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and former staffers, Chris Partridge, Denard Robinson and Connor Stalions committed Level 1 violations.

Harbaugh, currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, already received a four-year show cause order regarding the COVID recruiting violations case and would face a one-year suspension if he ever decides to return to collegiate athletics.

The NCAA also said that former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and former Michigan defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale of violations separate from the sign-stealing investigation.

According to NBC’s Nicole Auerbach, a source said Minter and Robinson will attempt to negotiate a resolution to the case with the NCAA, splitting the case between the rest of the participants which includes the university itself. 

Michigan, which will have 90 days to respond to the NCAA’s notice of allegations, faces a Level 1 violation for its “pattern of noncompliance within the football program” and efforts to thwart the NCAA investigation.