Michigan's Sherrone Moore Suspension Is Weak and Insults Nebraska

By choosing to suspend Sherrone Moore for games against Central Michigan and Nebraska—but not Oklahoma—Michigan sends the wrong message about accountability.

Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

In the world of college football, timing can say a lot about intent.

When a program decides to impose its own discipline before the NCAA gets involved, the assumption is that it's doing so to show accountability and a willingness to take responsibility. But Michigan’s recent move to suspend head coach Sherrone Moore for Weeks 3 and 4 of the 2025 season doesn't seem to follow that principle.

Instead, it feels like a calculated attempt to sidestep real consequences while keeping Moore on the sidelines for a game that matters most to him personally and to Michigan’s season: a massive Week 2 road trip to Oklahoma.

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore talks with Alabama head coach Kalen Deboer after the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Moore’s suspension stems from his role in the now-infamous Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal—a saga that has already rocked the program and contributed to Jim Harbaugh’s exit from college football. Specifically, Moore is accused of deleting a thread of text messages with Stalions on the very day the scandal broke.

The NCAA considers this a Level II violation, and Moore, who was already suspended in 2023 for unrelated recruiting violations, is now a repeat offender. That alone should raise the stakes.

So how does Michigan respond? By offering up a two-game suspension—against Central Michigan and Nebraska.

On paper, it may look like a legitimate disciplinary action. But take one step back and it’s clear this is anything but a harsh penalty. Michigan is effectively choosing to shield Moore from missing the Oklahoma game, which is not just the team’s biggest nonconference test but also holds sentimental value for Moore, who played for the Sooners and graduated from the university.

This is where it also becomes particularly insulting to Nebraska.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule. / Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

By selecting Weeks 3 and 4 as the suspension window, Michigan is implicitly telling Nebraska that they aren’t concerned about beating them without their head coach. They would rather take their chances against the Huskers than not have their head coach for the Oklahoma game. Thus leading to them making the unusual decision to suspend him for those games rather than their first two.

Michigan’s move isn't just tone-deaf—it undermines the entire idea of accountability. Discipline should sting. It should carry consequences. Instead, this looks like Michigan trying to write its own rules, hoping the NCAA will rubber-stamp them without a second glance.

But the NCAA doesn’t have to play along. The Committee on Infractions has already shown, in cases like Harbaugh’s, that it’s willing to reject school-imposed sanctions that appear too soft or self-serving.

The outcome of Moore’s final penalty remains uncertain. The NCAA can still impose additional sanctions. If they take this seriously—and they should—they’ll see right through Michigan’s attempt to control the narrative and increase Moore’s suspension to something that actually reflects the gravity of the situation.

Sherrone Moore is entering his second season as Michigan's head coach. / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

What Michigan has done here is attempt to protect its image and performance while pretending to embrace punishment. But accountability means taking the hit when it hurts—not when it's convenient. Choosing to bench Moore for games they believe they’ll win anyway, while letting him coach against Oklahoma, sends the exact opposite message.

It’s not just unusual. It’s bizarrely strategic. It’s transparent. And above all, it’s weak.

It seems like Michigan thinks they are getting away with something. We will see later in the off-season if they actually are.

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