ESPN: Big Ten's Tony Petitti says no additional NCAA punishment needed for Michigan

According to a report from ESPN's Dan Wetzel, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti sent a letter to the NCAA suggesting that no further punishment is needed for Michigan relating to the sign-stealing scandal. The letter was read at the infractions committee hearing back in June, according to Wetzel.

Via ESPN:

Petitti argued, sources said, that the Big Ten itself had already sufficiently punished the Michigan program when it suspended then-coach Jim Harbaugh for the final three games of the 2023 regular season: at Penn State, at Maryland and at home against Ohio State.

Even without Harbaugh, Michigan won all three en route to capturing the national championship.

B10 commissioner Tony Petitti sent the NCAA a letter arguing Michigan deserved no further punishment in its advanced scouting case

It’s notable considering Michigan’s past contentiousness toward Petitti when he first suspended Jim Harbaugh in 2023 https://t.co/ICK0SeSAga
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) July 21, 2025

In the letter, Petitti said that the Big Ten's punishment for Michigan was sufficient enough given the evidence it had. That punishment included a three-game suspension for Harbaugh toward the end of the 2023 regular season for games against Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State.

Wetzel's report also highlights the fact that Petitti once left the door open for further punishment against Michigan if additional information relating to the sign-stealing scandal had come to light. Given the fact that Petitti is now saying no further punishment is needed, that would imply that the Big Ten hasn't found any "smoking gun" that would indicate the scheme involved anyone on Michigan's staff beyond Connor Stalions.

Via ESPN:

He also allowed that "additional disciplinary actions may be necessary or appropriate if [the NCAA or Big Ten] receives additional information concerning the scope and knowledge of, or participation in, the impermissible scheme."

That Petitti is now suggesting that Michigan has paid its penance suggests no such additional information has emerged.

The NCAA is expected to issue its ruling in the coming weeks. And while some were hoping that Michigan would be facing a significant punishment, Petitti's letter suggests that may not be happening.

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