BREAKING: NCAA punishes Michigan Football for recruiting violations

The NCAA has handed down punishment on Michigan's football program for recruiting violations that occurred during a COVID-19 dead period...

The University of Michigan's football program has been handed down punishment by the NCAA for recruiting violations which occurred during a COVID-19 dead period. These violations were the same for which former head coach Jim Harbaugh served a three-game suspension at the start of the 2023 college football season.

The NCAA's enforcement staff reached an agreement with the University of Michigan and five current or former staff members for the recruiting violations and "coaching activities [conducted] by noncoaching staff members".

From the NCAA's report: "The agreed-upon penalties in this case include three years of probation for the school, a fine and recruiting restrictions in alignment with the Level I-Mitigated classification for the school. The participating individuals also agreed to one-year show-cause orders consistent with the Level II-Standard and Level II-Mitigated classifications of their respective violations."

According to the NCAA's report, a sixth former Michigan coach "did not participate in the agreement, and that portion of the case will be considered separately by the Committee on Infractions, after which the committee will release its full decision."

The NCAA, university of Michigan and the five coaches who reached an agreement agreed upon the following violations: "Impermissible in-person recruiting contacts during a COVID-19 dead period, impermissible tryouts, and the program exceeding the number of allowed countable coaches when noncoaching staff members engaged in on- and off-field coaching activities (including providing technical and tactical skills instruction to student-athletes)."

According to the report, the negotiated resolution between the NCAA and Michigan also involved the school's agreement that the underlying violations demonstrated that Harbaugh committed a "responsibility violation" and "the former head coach failed to meet his responsibility to cooperate with the investigation." The report says "the school also agreed that it failed to deter and detect the impermissible recruiting contacts and did not ensure that the football program adhered to rules for noncoaching staff members."

The NCAA's report says the infractions committee's final decision, "including potential violations and penalties for [Harbaugh]" is pending.

This report relates only to the recruiting and in-person coaching from non-assistant coaches violations which occurred in 2020. The NCAA's investigation into Michigan's sign-stealing scandal involving staffer Connor Stalions is still on-going.

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