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. Credit: Detroit Free Press
By Ben Axelrod on

Nearly two years after the college football world first learned the name “Connor Stalions,” we now know how Michigan will ultimately be punished for the sign-stealing scandal that emerged amid the Wolverines’ national championship-winning season in 2023.

On Friday, the NCAA called a press conference to announce its findings from a nearly two-year investigation into the Michigan program. And while the investigation did determine that the Wolverines engaged in an impermissible sign-stealing scheme during the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons, Michigan avoided having any past wins vacated or any future bowl bans.

Instead, the bulk of the Wolverines’ punishment comes in the form of fines, show-cause penalties and a three-game suspension for head coach Sherrone Moore, which will be spread across the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The full list of penalties, as announced by the NCAA on Friday, is as follows:

  • Four years of probation.
  • A $50,000 fine, plus 10 percent of the budget for the football program.
  • A fine equivalent to the anticipated loss of all postseason competition revenue sharing associated with the 2025 and 2026 football seasons.
  • A fine equivalent to the cost of 10 percent of the scholarships awarded in Michigan’s football program for the 2025-26 academic year.
  • A 25 percent reduction in football official visits during the 2025-26 season.
  • A 14-week prohibition on recruiting communications in the football program during the probation period.
  • Connor Stalions: Eight-year show-cause order, restricting him from all athletically related activities during the show-cause period.
  • Jim Harbaugh: 10-year show-cause order, restricting him from all athletically related activities during the show-cause period, which will begin on Aug. 7, 2028, at the conclusion of his four-year show-cause order from a previous case.
  • Denard Robinson: Three-year show-cause order, restricting him from all athletically related activities during the show-cause period.
  • Sherrone Moore: Two-year show-cause order, during which he is suspended from a total of three games. Moore is not prohibited from engaging in coaching or other athletically related activities during the show-cause period.

Considering the high profile nature of the story, many members of the sports media community were quick to weigh in with their reactions to the punishment.

Meanwhile, noted Michigan alum Adam Schefter has yet to publicly weigh in on Friday’s developments.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod