Sherrone Moore Officially Suspended for Nebraska Game; Michigan Handed NCAA Penalties

Nebraska football will officially be facing a Michigan team with an interim coach on Sept. 20.

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions ruled on Michigan's advanced-scouting case, adding to Moore's suspension and hitting the school with fines and other penalties. The Wolverines did not receive a postseason ban or have to vacate any wins, including the 2023 national title.

Moore will miss the third and fourth games of the upcoming season, which were part of the original self-imposed penalty. Those games are at home with Central Michigan and on the road at Nebraska. He will also be suspended for the 2026 opener, which is currently slated to be against Western Michigan in Frankfurt, Germany.

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore speaks to the media during the Big Ten media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The suspension skips the first two games of the 2025 campaign. Those are a home game against New Mexico and a road contest at Oklahoma. Moore played for the Sooners from 2006-07.

Michigan also received an eight-year show-cause penalty for former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions and a 10-year show-cause for ex-coach Jim Harbaugh. Stalions remains out of coaching while Harbaugh is in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers. Harbaugh is still in the middle of a four-year show-cause from a previous NCAA case.

Former assistant coach Denard Robinson was handed with a three-year show-cause penalty for his role in recruiting violations and then failure to respond to a notice of allegations or attend the hearing.

Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh watches from the sideline beside off-field analyst Connor Stalions. — Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh watches from the sideline beside off-field analyst Connor Stalions, right, during a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in 2022. | Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The fine includes a $50,000 initial levy, 10% of the football budget, 10% of the cost of football scholarships for the 2025 season, and the loss of all postseason competition revenue sharing for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. That means the total could end up being more than $30 million.

Michigan's football budget in 2024 was $70 million, which means the penalty for that portion of the fine will be at least $7 million.

The NCAA committee says that the Stalions operation of advanced scouting included 56 instances of off-campus, in-person scouting. This included the deciphering of opponent signals during the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons. Nebraska played Michigan in each of those years, losing 32-29, 34-3, and 45-7.

Fireworks go off during a light show at the end of the third quarter between Nebraska and Michigan at Memorial Stadium. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

"Stalions directed and arranged for individuals to conduct off-campus, in-person scouting of Michigan's future regular-season opponents," the report reads. "In doing so, Stalions purchased game tickets and transferred them to those individuals, who included another staff member, interns and acquaintances of Stalions. The network of individuals was referred to as the "KGB."

"While in attendance, they filmed the signal callers on the future opponents' sidelines and then provided that film to Stalions. Using the footage they collected -- which Stalions referred to as 'dirty film' -- Stalions then deciphered opponents' signals. Stalions and other individuals involved in the scheme acknowledged or corroborated this process. Additionally, on one occasion, Stalions personally attended a future opponent's contest."

Other sanctions:

25% reduction in football official visits during the 2025-26 academic year
14-week prohibition on recruiting communications in the football program

Michigan went 8-5 in 2024, while Nebraska went 7-6. The two will meet in Lincoln on Sept. 20. that game will be televised on CBS, with a 2:30 p.m. CDT kickoff.

Nebraska Football 2025 Schedule

Aug. 28 (Thursday) vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City) 8 p.m. ESPN
Sep. 6 vs. Akron 6:30 p.m. CDT BTN
Sep. 13 vs. Houston Christian 11 a.m. FS1
Sep. 20 vs. Michigan 2:30 p.m. CBS
Oct. 4 vs. Michigan State 11/2:30/3
Oct. 11 at Maryland TBA
Oct. 17 (Friday) at Minnesota 7 p.m. FOX
Oct. 25 vs. Northwestern TBA
Nov. 1 vs. USC TBA
Nov. 8 at UCLA TBA
Nov. 22 at Penn State TBA
Nov. 28 (Black Friday) vs. Iowa 11 a.m. CBS

Home games are bolded. All times central.

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