NCAA is investigating allegations of sign-stealing by Michigan football

[cigaretteman]

No. 2 Michigan said Thursday it has been notified by the NCAA that the football program is being investigated for allegedly stealing signs.

“The university is fully cooperating with the Big Ten and NCAA. The investigation is ongoing and will not impact Saturday’s game,” the university said in a statement. “At the University of Michigan, we are committed to the highest ethical and integrity standards for all members of our community.”



The Wolverines (7-0) play at Michigan State on Saturday.

The Big Ten also announced the investigation, but provided no further details, only to say that it had notified Michigan’s upcoming opponents about the investigation.

“The Big Ten Conference considers the integrity of competition to be of utmost importance and will continue to monitor the investigation,” the Big Ten said in a statement.

The NCAA does not have rules specifically against stealing signs but does prohibit in-person advanced scouting of opponents and also does have bylaws prohibiting unsportsmanlike activities.

Michigan has been crossing path with the NCAA on a regular basis over the last year.

An NCAA investigation into impermissible contact with recruits by Jim Harbaugh led Michigan to self-impose a three-game suspension on the Wolverines’ head coach earlier this year. Harbaugh missed Michigan’s first three games.


That case has not yet been resolved as the NCAA’s committee on infractions rejected a potential negotiated settlement regarding Harbaugh’s involvement in the case based on his cooperation with investigators.

NCAA is investigating allegations of sign-stealing by Michigan football

No. 2 Michigan said Thursday it has been notified by the NCAA that the football program is being investigated for allegedly stealing signs. “The university is fully cooperating with the Big T…

www.chicagotribune.com

 

[Funky Bunch]

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

Witch hunt. National Championship interference.

 

[alaskanseminole]

Didn't stop Auburn from doing it to FSU in the NC game. ...that was more on Jimbolt, though. He should have changed up the signals.

 

[BelemNole]

I think of this the same way as baseball. If you can steal them on the field from watching the other team I have no problem with it. If you're using technology to do it then it's unsportsman.

 

[PapaTed]

Also better known as Advance scouting. Either get on Jim Harbaugh’s level or stop being a little bitch and crying about it.

 

[jawatkins]

I think of this the same way as baseball. If you can steal them on the field from watching the other team I have no problem with it. If you're using technology to do it then it's unsportsman.

Just like old scruddy and fat girls. Sure he’s batting 1,000 but he’s a little league level bench player running up the score in tee ball.

 

[Hawk-A-Doodle-Doo]

I think of this the same way as baseball. If you can steal them on the field from watching the other team I have no problem with it. If you're using technology to do it then it's unsportsman.

This is where Ol' Doodle has always landed.

If your signals are so rudimentary that the runner on 2nd base can tell what pitch the catcher is calling and relays that to his teammate at the plate, or the coach across the football field knows what plays you're calling and relays them to his defense, so be it. If you don't like it, there's a very simple solution.
Use. Better. Signals!! What's the opponent supposed to do....avert their eyes?

On the other hand, if they're using telephoto lenses from a tree next to your practice field or sending people to your games to record signals and use AI analysis, etc....that's a whole other animal and should be against the rules and should result in pretty serious penalties.

 

[BustingNarratives]

Sounds like a B1G opponent they played this year turned them in (Rutgers, Nebby, Minny, or Indiana). My money is on the whiny ass Huskers. Get better signs.

 

[PapaTed]

Sounds like a B1G opponent they played this year turned them in (Rutgers, Nebby, Minny, or Indiana). My money is on the whiny ass Huskers. Get better signs.

Bitch made for sure

 

[beanerhawk]

Agree with most of the posts here. I'm not sticking up for Michigan but all sports. If your signs are so simple that the other team can figure it out, that's a you problem. Back when I played basketball whey back in the day a rival team had an inbound play they called 34 or something like that. Knocked down a three with it the first time hey ran it, 2nd have their coaches yells out 34 again. Like, are you kidding me, we picked off the inbound pass and score a layup. Don't be an idiot.

 

[beanerhawk]

I think of this the same way as baseball. If you can steal them on the field from watching the other team I have no problem with it. If you're using technology to do it then it's unsportsman.

Also agree with this. If you have a guy in the stands with binoculars texting calls to the d coordinator... well then there's a problem.

JJ watt talked about this on Pat's show Wednesday. Basically said if your not going to mix up your audibles or snap count what am I supposed to do, pretend like I don't know and slow down to give you a chance?

"Hey guys I know the screen is coming but let them set it up first to be fair like we don't know!"

 

[Finance85]

No. 2 Michigan said Thursday it has been notified by the NCAA that the football program is being investigated for allegedly stealing signs.

“The university is fully cooperating with the Big Ten and NCAA. The investigation is ongoing and will not impact Saturday’s game,” the university said in a statement. “At the University of Michigan, we are committed to the highest ethical and integrity standards for all members of our community.”



The Wolverines (7-0) play at Michigan State on Saturday.

The Big Ten also announced the investigation, but provided no further details, only to say that it had notified Michigan’s upcoming opponents about the investigation.

“The Big Ten Conference considers the integrity of competition to be of utmost importance and will continue to monitor the investigation,” the Big Ten said in a statement.

The NCAA does not have rules specifically against stealing signs but does prohibit in-person advanced scouting of opponents and also does have bylaws prohibiting unsportsmanlike activities.

Michigan has been crossing path with the NCAA on a regular basis over the last year.

An NCAA investigation into impermissible contact with recruits by Jim Harbaugh led Michigan to self-impose a three-game suspension on the Wolverines’ head coach earlier this year. Harbaugh missed Michigan’s first three games.


That case has not yet been resolved as the NCAA’s committee on infractions rejected a potential negotiated settlement regarding Harbaugh’s involvement in the case based on his cooperation with investigators.

NCAA is investigating allegations of sign-stealing by Michigan football

No. 2 Michigan said Thursday it has been notified by the NCAA that the football program is being investigated for allegedly stealing signs. “The university is fully cooperating with the Big T…

www.chicagotribune.com

 

[TJ8869]

I would have one guy signaling the real play and two guys sending fake signals. And at random times during the game I would change which one was real and which ones were decoys.

 

[BelemNole]

I would have one guy signaling the real play and two guys sending fake signals. And at random times during the game I would change which one was real and which ones were decoys.

 

[cigaretteman]

I remember those! It doesn't seem like they ever really caught on!

 

[torbee]

 

[Finance85]

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[TJ8869]

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[HawkBall23]

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[lucas80]

I like that they said Michigan is cooperating. This is the same Jim Harbaugh who was suspended, then not suspended, then sat out some games and came back to thundering applause after he lied to the NCAA.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

 

[Huey Grey]

Didn't Mark Rober develop a sign stealing app for fun?

 

[runkpanole]

I somehow knew that old ass Ted would be by to defend his cheating coach. That said…

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Why not cheat? Harbaugh should have already been fired twice. Yet, there he is. He's untouchable.

 

[onlyTheObvious]

Didn’t know it was illegal. Just put a speaker in helmet like nfl and be done.

 

[TJ8869]

Didn’t know it was illegal.

If I’m reading between the lines correctly here, Michigan had a network of scouts that they sent to watch upcoming opponents and record their hand signals so they could reverse engineer them and build a database on each opponent.

It will be interesting to see if their defense remains as dominant as it has been or if it’s like when MLB announced a crackdown on pitchers using foreign substances and then spin rates magically dropped.

 

[onlyTheObvious]

If I’m reading between the lines correctly here, Michigan had a network of scouts that they sent to watch upcoming opponents and record their hand signals so they could reverse engineer them and build a database on each opponent.

It will be interesting to see if their defense remains as dominant as it has been or if it’s like when MLB announced a crackdown on pitchers using foreign substances and then spin rates magically dropped.

That’s what I heard. Still didn’t know it was illegal. I sort of assumed they all did that. I figured that’s why some teams have multiple signalers. Surprised anybody can make heads or tails out of it.

 

[RollingBallofButcherKnives]

https://www.si.com/college/2023/10/19/michigan-state-considered-skipping-michigan-game-sign-stealing-probe

 

[ThorneStockton]

If I’m reading between the lines correctly here, Michigan had a network of scouts that they sent to watch upcoming opponents and record their hand signals so they could reverse engineer them and build a database on each opponent.

It will be interesting to see if their defense remains as dominant as it has been or if it’s like when MLB announced a crackdown on pitchers using foreign substances and then spin rates magically dropped.

Sounds exactly like the kind of operation the head coach would have absolutely no knowledge of

 

[beanerhawk]

After listening to more of the story today they took it to the Astro's level. That's not good, nothing will happen this year but Jimmy might miss the beginning of next year also. Also didn't know that scouting other teams in college has been illegal since 1994.

 

[ConvenientParking]

Anyone else kind of jealous that other teams have offenses where their opponents' coaching staffs find it necessary to work on stealing their playcalling signals to know what's coming?

 

[torbee]

Anyone else kind of jealous that other teams have offenses where their opponents' coaching staffs find it necessary to work on stealing their playcalling signals to know what's coming?

Just another example of Brian Ferentz being lightyears ahead of the other Big 10 OC's!

He has "Harbaugh-proofed" Iowa's offense.

Friggging. Genius.

 

[HawkBall23]

Just another example of Brian Ferentz being lightyears ahead of the other Big 10 OC's!

He has "Harbaugh-proofed" Iowa's offense.

Friggging. Genius.

He did such a good job, I think he "Iowa points-proofed" it as well.

 

[eb05]

sounds like this is getting worse as more information is uncovered. there is zero chance harbaugh was unaware of the scheme

 

[runkpanole]

 

[TJ8869]

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This morning I read somewhere that Ohio State changed their signs prior to the Michigan game last year because they were already suspicious that Michigan was stealing them.

 

[runkpanole]

This morning I read somewhere that Ohio State changed their signs prior to the Michigan game last year because they were already suspicious that Michigan was stealing them.

If they did, it obviously didn’t work. That said, Michigan record in the last couple of years makes me suspicious.

 

[McLovin32]

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Yikes. Yup, that does not look good.

 

[Slappy Pappy]

Remember how Michigan was so inexplicably bad during the covid year? So bad they canceled the last couple games? Well now it makes sense. Stadiums were closed to fans, so they couldn't steal signs before games.