Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh suspended by Big Ten as part of sign-stealing investigation

The Big Ten has suspended Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh for the remainder of the regular season for his role in the program's sign-stealing scandal, the conference announced Friday.

The conference found Michigan "in violation of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy for conducting an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition."

Harbaugh will not be allowed to attend games but will be able to attend practices and preparations for the team.

"As a penalty imposed on the institution, the University football team must compete without its Head Football Coach for the games remaining in the 2023 regular-season, effective immediately," a statement from the Big Ten said. "This disciplinary action shall not preclude the University or its football team from having its Head Football Coach attend practices or other football team activities other than the game activities to which it applies. For clarity, the Head Football Coach shall not be present at the game venue on the dates of the games to which this disciplinary action applies."

Harbaugh will miss Saturday's road game against No. 9 Penn State and another the following week at Maryland. The team's home game against No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 25 should decide the Big Ten East champion.

Harbaugh would be able to coach in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 2 if the Wolverines win their division.

Michigan vowed an "immediate" legal response after the Big Ten announced the suspension.

The university released a statement Friday afternoon shortly after the team's flight landed in State College, Pennsylvania. It was unclear whether Michigan would be able to request a preliminary injunction or a temporary restraining order from a judge before Saturday's game, due to the Veterans Day federal holiday.

"Like all members of the Big Ten Conference, we are entitled to a fair, deliberate, and thoughtful process to determine the full set of facts before a judgment is rendered," the statement reads. "To ensure fairness in the process, we intend to seek a court order, together with coach Harbaugh, preventing this disciplinary action from taking effect."

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An investigation into Michigan's sign-stealing apparatus began after detailed reports showed how an off-field staffer, Connor Stalions, broke NCAA rules by acquiring video of opponents' signals through a network of associates who would be paid to attend games and record calls used to send in specific plays.

While deciphering signals sent from the sideline is not a violation of NCAA rules, there are bylaws prohibiting teams from conducting any "off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents" in the same season of play, according to the NCAA rulebook. There is also a rule against using any type of recording device to track signals.

The conference's handbook gives commissioner Tony Petitti the "exclusive authority" to discipline Harbaugh and Michigan through the Big Ten sportsmanship policy, which reserves the league's right to institute punishment for actions "that are offensive to the integrity of the competition, actions that offend civility, and actions of disrespect."

In a letter to Michigan announcing the punishment, the Big Ten said the sanctions against Harbaugh were levied because of "the Conference’s belief that the University violated the Sportsmanship Policy because a University football staff member engaged in an organized, extensive, years-long in-person advance scouting scheme that was impermissible. The goal of the scheme was to gain an unfair advantage by stealing the signs of teams that the University’s football team was due to play later in the season. Such misconduct inherently compromises the integrity of competition."

The Big Ten said that it did not have specific information that Harbaugh knew of the scheme, but the suspension of the coach was the best way to punish the school.

"This is not a sanction of Coach Harbaugh," the league's letter said. "It is a sanction against the University that, under the extraordinary circumstances presented by this offensive conduct, best fits the violation because: (1) it preserves the ability of the University’s football student-athletes to continue competing; and (2) it recognizes that the Head Coach embodies the University for purposes of its football program."

This sign-stealing scandal has gripped college football and engulfed the Wolverines' quest for the program's first unshared national championship since 1948. The school split a national title with Nebraska in 1997.

Stalions resigned his position last week. In a statement made to The Athletic through his attorney, Brad Beckworth, Stalions said that "to his knowledge, neither Coach Harbaugh, nor any other coach or staff member, told anyone to break any rules or were aware of improper conduct regarding the recent allegations of advanced scouting."

Harbaugh denied any knowledge of a sign-stealing system in a statement issued on Oct. 19.

“I do not condone or tolerate anyone doing anything illegal or against NCAA rules,” he said. “No matter what program or organization that I have led throughout my career, my instructions and awareness of how we scout opponents have always been firmly within the rules.”

This is the second time Harbaugh has missed games this season due to a suspension, following a three-game suspension self-imposed by the university to open the year due to alleged rule violations committed during the COVID-19 dead period.

The decision to suspend Harbaugh comes with the Wolverines ranked No. 2 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

A member of the playoff selection committee, university athletics director Warde Manuel skipped Tuesday's meetings to see to "important matters regarding the ongoing investigation into our football program," he said in a statement.