Jim Harbaugh, the head football coach at the University of Michigan, will miss the final three games of the 2023 regular season. The Big Ten Conference announced on Friday that the football program of the Wolverines had engaged in “an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years,” in violation of the conference’s sportsmanship policy.
Harbaugh’s suspension for allegedly stealing signs from the program includes him missing Saturday’s game against Penn State as part of the penalties.
Even without Harbaugh, No. 3 Michigan defeated No. 10 Penn State 24–15 to increase their record to 10-0 for the year. Sherrone Moore, the offensive coordinator, stood in for Harbaugh throughout the game and expressed his gratitude.
With tears running down his face, Moore said, “I want to thank coach Harbaugh,” on the Fox broadcast. This is yours. The president of this university, our (athletic director). We have the greatest athletes, university, and alumni in the nation. I adore you all!
The conference claimed that the university had broken the Big Ten’s sportsmanship policy “because a university football staff member engaged in an organized, extensive, years-long in-person advance scouting scheme that was impermissible” in an email sent to Michigan’s athletic director, Wade Manuel, on Friday.
According to the conference’s statement, Harbaugh is permitted to attend football team practices and other events, but he is not permitted to be in the stadium during game days.
According to NCAA regulations, “sign-stealing,” or the act of obtaining information on the signs a team employs to signal offensive and defensive plays, is legally allowed unless electronic communication is intercepted during play. However, the rule book expressly states that in-person scouting is prohibited.
The conference’s communication made it clear that the punishment was directed against the university: “We impose this disciplinary action even though the conference has not yet received any information indicating that Head Football Coach Harbaugh was aware of the impermissible nature of the sign-stealing scheme.”
The statement said, “Coach Harbaugh is not sanctioned by this.”
The conference said that “in the event that it obtains further information regarding the extent and knowledge of, or participation in, the impermissible scheme, additional disciplinary actions may be necessary or appropriate.”
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