Michigan football statement grills Big Ten commissioner

Everything is getting very real for Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines, who are slated to face No. 10 Penn State tomorrow. While in the air on the way to State College, PA, the Big Ten Conference officially suspended Harbaugh from the sideline for the remainder of the regular season slate. In response, this Michigan football statement on the matter grilled new Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti — who waited until a court holiday and for the Wolverines’ plane to be in the air just 18 hours from kicking off a top 10 matchup to take action.

Michigan football statement grills Big Ten commissioner

Here is an excerpt from the Michigan football statement to the Big Ten, which grills Tony Petitti and the Big Ten Conference for acting out of pressure from the other schools instead of allowing due process.

“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. Today’s action by Commissioner Tony Petitti disregards the Conference’s own handbook, violates basic tenets of due process, and sets an untenable precedent of assessing penalties before an investigation has been completed. We are dismayed at the Commissioner’s rush to judgment when there is an ongoing NCAA investigation — one in which we are fully cooperating.

“(Big Ten) Commissioner Petitti’s hasty action today suggests that this is more about reacting to pressure from other Conference members than a desire to apply the rules fairly and impartially. By taking this action at this hour, the Commissioner is personally inserting himself onto the sidelines and altering the level playing field that he is claiming to preserve.  And, doing so on Veteran’s Day – a court holiday – to try to thwart the University from seeking immediate judicial relief is hardly a profile in impartiality. To ensure fairness in the process, we intend to seek a court order, together with Coach Harbaugh, preventing this disciplinary action from taking effect.”

With or without Jim Harbaugh, No. 3 Wolverines will face Penn State tomorrow

Michigan and Jim Harbaugh have also announced that they will be seeking out a judge to overturn the punishment from the Big Ten, perhaps as soon as tomorrow morning, which would allow Jim Harbaugh to coach his No. 3 Wolverines against the No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday.

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