Michigan given three-year probation, recruiting penalties by NCAA for football violations
This ruling is unrelated to the Michigan sign-stealing investigation, which remains ongoing
Michigan and five current or former staff members of its football program have reach an agreement with the NCAA on recruiting violations and "coaching activities by noncoaching staff members that occurred within the football program, and the appropriate penalties for those violations."
Michigan will be on probation for three years, face a fine and restrictions to recruiting, and the penalized coaches will have one-year show-cause orders, per the NCAA announcement.
Penalties:
- three years of probation for Michigan
- a fine & recruiting restrictions
- one-year show-cause orders for the coaches— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) April 16, 2024
One former Michigan coach — presumably former head coach Jim Harbaugh — did not take part in the agreement and the NCAA's Committee on Infractions will treat that case separately.
"The agreed-upon violations involve impermissible in-person recruiting contacts during a COVID-19 dead period, impermissible tryouts, and the program exceeding the number of allowed countable coaches when noncoaching staff members engaged in on- and off-field coaching activities (including providing technical and tactical skills instruction to student-athletes)," said the NCAA in a statement. "The negotiated resolution also involved the school's agreement that the underlying violations demonstrated a head coach responsibility violation and the former football head coach failed to meet his responsibility to cooperate with the investigation. The school also agreed that it failed to deter and detect the impermissible recruiting contacts and did not ensure that the football program adhered to rules for noncoaching staff members."
In a notice of allegations sent to Michigan in January, the NCAA alleged that the Wolverines had impermissible meetings with two recruits during a COVID-19 dead period. Other violations — all of which are considered Level II — include texting a recruit outside of a contact period, exceeding the NCAA’s limits for on-field coaches by having analysts instruct players during practice and having coaches watch players work out over Zoom.
“Today’s joint resolution pertains to the University of Michigan Athletic Department and several former and current employees," said Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel in a statement. "We are pleased to reach a resolution on this matter so that our student-athletes and our football program can move forward. We have no additional information and cannot comment further on other aspects of the NCAA’s inquiries.”
Harbaugh served a self-imposed three-game suspension at the beginning of the 2023 season for making what the NCAA deemed to be false statements during this investigation.
This ruling is unrelated to the Michigan sign-stealing investigation, which remains ongoing.
