The NCAA is reportedly preparing to issue its Notice of Allegations, or NOA, to Michigan’s football program as soon as this week for its alleged participation in an elaborate sign-stealing scandal that led to the resignation of recruiting staffer Connor Stalions and three-game suspension of former head coach Jim Harbaugh last fall.
According to a report from Chris Balas of TheWolverine.com on Monday, the NCAA is expected to levy Stalions with Level 1 violations for what a source called his “involvement in and arrangement for off-campus, in-person scouting,” while he will likely also be charged with failure to cooperate in an investigation both during and after employment.
This report comes less than a month before Stalions is set to be featured in a Netflix “Untold” documentary titled, “Sign Stealer,” which will be released on Aug. 27 and share the former staffer’s side of the story that turned him into what Netflix calls a “viral villain.” It is unclear what information Stalions will talk about in his documentary or if the reported Notice of Allegations will have any impact on the film.
While no other current Michigan staffers are reportedly facing Level 1 allegations, at least two other former coaches are expected to be hit with Level II violations for providing impermissible benefits to Michigan athletes.
Balas also reported that while the NCAA has not discussed vacating any of the Wolverines wins from previous seasons with Stalions on staff, they could look to instill a postseason ban on the Wolverines for one or two years. This is a punishment that Michigan is expected to fight back against, making it unlikely that it will go into effect this season as the school’s appeal is unlikely to be heard by the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions until 2025.
One source told Balas that the reported punishment “will likely take years to resolve.”
From Sept. 1 2021-Oct. 15, 2023 — the span Stalions was employed by the football team, per the Detroit Free Press — Michigan boasted a 32-3 record and a 21-2 mark in the Big Ten, while it also secured two straight wins against Ohio State, two straight Big Ten titles and two consecutive College Football Playoff appearances.
The Wolverines won each of their remaining eight games of the 2023 season with Stalions off the staff, however, including a third straight victory over Ohio State and a National Championship Game victory over Washington.
