CNN points out ‘cultural problems’ at historic college football program

After listing out all of their recent scandals, it becomes clear that one major college sports brand has some maintenance to do in house.

Historic college football pylon | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Scandal is an inevitable thread in the fabric of college football. Pretty much every major school as waded through one or two notable scandals involving administrators, coaches or players on a particular team. But there's one Big Ten school, and college football program, who might be the new "Scandal U."

That was a popular phrase around Louisville, KY in regard to the Cardinals' run of scandals that included mismanaged funds by a university president, a strippers-in-the-dorms basketball scandal, an FBI probe, a playbook-stealing scandal called Wakey-Leaks (after Wake Forest) and the list goes on. Well, the Ville can now mover over after getting their act together in the 2020s, because Michigan is the new big bad rulebreaker in college athletics.

In light of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore's firing this week, one of the largest news outlets in America, CNN, decided to do dig into the noticeably high number of scandals that have rocked Michigan of late. Of course, Moore was fired, for cause, do to an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. But he's only the latest in a long line of Michigan men who've gotten their hands a bit dirty.

CNN noted the following occurrences all within the Michigan athletics department over the last few years:

Michigan Scandal Rundown

• Head football coach Sherrone Moore was fired over an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, then later arrested the same night he was fired.
• Head football coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for several games during the 2023 national championship season over recruiting violations.
• Head football coach Jim Harbaugh left college football after 2023 with a 10-year show cause, four years of probation for Michigan, plus millions in fines over a sign-stealing scandal that dominated the entire 2023 college football news cycle.
• Football assistant Connor Stalions was let go for his very direct involvement in organizing and enacting the sign-stealing scandal.
• Head basketball coach Juwan Howard was suspended for slapping an opposing assistant coach during a handshake line and then fired after that season.
• Head hockey coach Mel Pearson, was not retained after investigations discovered the program urged athletes to lie on COVID tests and also had reports of verbal assaults on female staff members.
• Football assistant Matt Weiss was let go after it was discovered that he was hacking into students' accounts to steal private photos of them.

That's a tornado of bad ripping through Ann Arbor over just a couple of seasons. And while the basketball and hockey stories were tough situations, most of these scandalous missteps have come from the football program. According to CNN, there's just one big culture problem under athletic director Warde Manuel.

CNN notes deeper problems with UM athletics

Michigan Wolverines' Sherrone Moore (left), head coach Jim Harbaugh (center) and special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"People associated with Michigan athletics have told CNN that they believe there is a cultural problem, if not of indifference, certainly of arrogance," they wrote. Going beyond just the bad behavior from people hired by Michigan, CNN reports that the school's firing process itself raises major red flags.

"A source familiar with the matter said that Manuel dismissed Moore without anyone from human resources present, and – while that is not required – it is standard behavior at most companies," CNN added, which is true, especially for a situation like Moore. In fact, he's the example of why HR is used in that capacity, to maybe prevent something messy from transpiring afterward, which is exactly what happened.

Perhaps 2026 can offer a new day for Michigan. The Jim Harbaugh era ended with raging success on the field but has left a disastrous wake. With Moore now out, the Wolverines can start anew and bring in a head coach completely severed from the Harbaugh era and the baggage it brought.