Some Good News For Michigan Football Amid Scandal

A major piece of information that everyone is still unsure of when it comes to the Michigan football sign-stealing scandal is — outside of ex-staffer Connor Stalions — who else knew of the alleged scheme? Right now, it appears that Stalions was a rogue actor, with no public proof yet that anyone knew of (or used) his sign-stealing. This includes currently suspended Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, who may return for this weekend’s game depending on the outcome of Friday’s TRO hearing in Washtenaw County. This week, Michigan and Harbaugh finally got a piece of good news amid the media leaks and more.

Latest report on Michigan football sign-stealing scandal reveals key info about Stalions

A top argument for the Michigan football program — which will likely be used in court by U-M and Jim Harbaugh if things go that far — is that Connor Stalions acted alone. The term “rogue actor” is being used a lot right now.

Yesterday, the Associated Press unveiled a new piece of info after hearing back from the University of Michigan on a FOIA request regarding Connor Stalions. Per the new AP report, the University of Michigan confirms that Stalions filed no expense reports during his tenure as a staffer with the school’s football team.

This is not the end all be all for Michigan football or Jim Harbaugh, but it is still good news for the school, further establishing that Stalions acted alone without school or staff assistance. If this is the case, the stigma surrounding Jim Harbaugh and Michigan’s football team would likely change a bit, though the damage has already been done by outlets like ESPN and others.

What does the NCAA know about Connor Stalions’ scheme?

As of right now, reports state that what the NCAA can prove against Michigan football is that Connor Stalions had budgeted and documented a ticket plan for his sign-stealing scandal, as well as purchased tickets to a number of Big Ten football games — likely to get footage of sidelines.

Jim Harbaugh and others still not linked

What the NCAA cannot prove — at least from what anyone knows so far — is that anyone on Michigan’s staff assisted in, or even knew about, Stalions’ sign-stealing scheme. Among those who are not linked to the scandal is Jim Harbaugh, though that did not stop the Big Ten Conference from suspending him for games against Penn State (which Michigan won), Maryland (this weekend), and Ohio State (next weekend).

Still, for the time being, it is looking more and more likely that Stalions was a lone, rogue actor in his scheme, and the AP’s latest report further plays into that storyline. While U-M will likely still face punishment, these developments will likely ultimately bode well for the Maize and Blue.

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