The University of Michigan has finally come down with a punishment for coach Sherrone Moore’s involvement in the Connor Stalions sign-stealing controversy that rocked college football in 2023.
Michigan is expected to suspend Moore for two games at the start of the 2025 seasons as a self-imposed punishment for employing Stalions, who resigned during the 2023 season after his advance-scouting scandal came to light.
According to ESPN, Michigan is expected to take on non-conference foe Central Michigan and Big Ten rival Nebraska in Weeks 3 and 4 without its head coach. ESPN reported Moore is being suspended for deleting a 52-text thread of messages between himself and Stalions.
Ironically, Moore, then the Michigan offensive coordinator, served as the interim coach for three games, including a road showdown against Penn State, after then-coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for one game for having Stalions on his staff.
The Wolverines will open their season with dates against New Mexico and Oklahoma, which is Moore’s alma mater.
A refresher
Stalions served on the Michigan coaching staff from 2022-23 as a defensive analyst and recruiter under Harbaugh, who coached in Ann Arbor from 2015-23. Stalions’ name came to light midway through the 2023 season, when the NCAA announced it was investigating allegations of Michigan staffers recording opposing signs while scouting their games.
The Wolverines were accused of purchasing tickets to road games of future opponents and recording coaching signals. A former employee of the program blew the whistle to the Associated Press, telling the news outlet that he had been employed by the university to record opposing coaches ahead of their games against the Wolverines.
The Wolverines went 15-0 in 2023 and won the national championship. They went 8-0, with a Rose Bowl victory over Alabama and a College Football Playoff national championship win over Washington, after Stalions resigned.
Harbaugh left to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers after the season.
Not a done deal
Michigan may announce Moore’s suspension, but this remains far from over and further punishment to the Wolverines football coming may still be coming.
According to Sports Illustrated, the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions will hold a hearing June 6-7 in Indianapolis on this case. Despite Michigan’s self-imposed suspension of Moore, the NCAA could impose further penalties — including a longer or harsher suspension of the second-year head coach.
The suspension will be the second time Moore has been banned from coaching a game in less than 24 months as head coach, though his previous suspension was served in lieu of the departed Harbaugh against East Carolina in 2024.
The fact Michigan cherrypicked two games in the middle of its season — not even its first two games, which is standard practice when schools impose punishments — may warrant further action in the eyes of the NCAA even though neither Stalions nor Harbaugh are involved in the program.
Moore reportedly did later produce the text messages for which he is being suspended and some involved opposing-teams signals — which could serve as a smoking gun of sorts. Plus, the NCAA may accept the school’s self-imposed suspension then add the first two games as well or more.
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