‘The Simpsons’ Tweaks Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh With Thinly Veiled Cheating Reference

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has been the target of much criticism over the past several months after an alleged sign-stealing scandal was revealed on his watch.

Now, a legendary animated series has taken aim at him. 

The Simpsons is in the midst of its 35th season and took several shots at the sports world in its latest episode, Do The Wrong Thing, which aired Sunday night. In the episode, Homer and Bart cheat at blue-collar sporting events, and the plot ends with Bart taking a teaching job in a class called “Intro to Cheating 101” in a facility called the “Jim Harbaugh Center for Competitive Imbalance.”

Michigan staff analyst Connor Stalions resigned two weeks after being suspended by the school following reports that he purchased tickets for 35 games involving future Michigan opponents over multiple seasons to provide in-person scouting, which is prohibited by NCAA rules. 

Harbaugh has denied that he knew anything about the scheme or that he directed any off-campus scouting. Regardless, Harbaugh was suspended for the last three games of the regular season by the Big Ten, and an NCAA investigation is still ongoing. At every turn, Harbaugh has denied wrongdoing. He’s even tried to turn the whole scandal into a rallying cry for his team, seemingly painting his team as a victim. 

That sentiment hasn’t landed well with much of the sports world, and it’s also made Harbaugh and the Wolverines easy comedic targets.