The University of Michigan’s football team is currently embroiled in a controversy as old as college football: sign-stealing. The allegations have cast a shadow over the team’s otherwise stellar season, leading to investigations and punishments.
The allegations center around former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions. He was accused of buying tickets to games against the team’s conference teams with the intention of sign stealing and scouting. This was allegedly done to give the Wolverines an advantage in the game. The positive for Michigan fans right now is that Stallion’s actions have not yet been connected to Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines’ head coach. On the contrary, the negative is that the Big Ten conference has suspended Harbaugh for three games—games that include Penn State and Ohio State.
As for the suspension, the Big Ten argued that the integrity of games was compromised due to the actions of the former member of Michigan’s football staff. Low-level staffer or not—the conference has not held back in punishment.
Not only is the Big Ten investigating the Wolverines, the NCAA is as well. This is not the first time this year that Michigan has been involved with allegations tracing back to the football program. Earlier this year, the NCAA was investigating allegations that Jim Harbaugh was scouting during the “downtime” period in the middle of COVID-19. Michigan is cooperating with the NCAA in both of its investigations, which could drag out far past this season.
Regarding the sign-stealing allegations, Michigan is still prepared to take legal action against the Big Ten Conference after the football season is over.
Despite the controversy, Michigan has had little trouble on the field this year, as they have been stifling opponents all season. However, the sign-stealing scandal has undoubtedly been a distraction for the team. Michigan has still proved solid amidst the scandal winning out and beating the “team down south,” (Ohio State) 30-24. The Wolverines will continue to have the looming shadow of this scandal above their heads for the rest of this year and potentially longer. However, Michigan is headed to its third straight Big Ten Championship appearance.
The sign-stealing allegations against Michigan’s football team have stirred up significant controversy. As the NCAA investigation continues, the college football world will be watching closely to see how the situation unfolds and how the Wolverines respond.
