Wolverine Digest

REPORT: Power 4 head coach says Michigan needs the 'hammer' for sign-stealing scandal

As the University of Michigan prepares for its hearing with the Committee on Infractions next month, some coaches around college football are hoping the NCAA issues a severe punishment.
Chris Breiler|
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As the University of Michigan prepares for its 'sign-stealing' hearing with the Committee on Infractions next month, the rest of the college football world awaits the NCAA's eventual punishment. Although it seems unlikely that the NCAA will force Michigan to vacate wins or strip the Wolverines of their national championship in 2023, the reality is that nobody knows.

The entire sign-stealing saga is uncharted waters for the NCAA. In addition to how poorly the investigation has been handled, the back-and-forth messaging from the NCAA (which is a concern in and of itself) has created plenty of uncertainty regarding how they'll act when it comes to a punishment.

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With that hearing set to take place on June 6 and 7, there's no shortage of folks who are weighing in on what they think should happen.

In a recent article published by The Athletic, at least one Power 4 head coach (not in the Big Ten) went as far as to say that Michigan needs to get the 'hammer.'

“I promise you that coaches still care about this,” a Power 4 head coach — not in the Big Ten — said this week. “This was a major deal, and you can’t minimize it. It’s bad for college football. (Stealing signals) might be more common than you think, but the extremes they went to? I’ve never heard of anything like it, and they need to get the hammer.”

The quote, although anonymous, highlights just how much of a vested interest the rest of the college football world has in the NCAA's upcoming ruling.

Although plenty of analysts and former players have attempted to minimize the impact of Connor Stalions' actions during his time with Michigan, it's clear that there are others who feel much differently - and they want the NCAA to act accordingly.

Given the amount of attention this entire saga has received, the NCAA - an organization desperate to prove it's still relevant - may choose to make an example of the Michigan Football program. What that looks like is anyone's guess at this point. The good news is that this seemingly never-ending story appears to be nearing its end. Once the hearing with the COI is concluded in the first week of June, an official ruling from the NCAA is expected to occur within 45 days of that hearing.

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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