NCAA Opens Investigation Into UM Scouting Opp and Stealing Signs
More than a rumor....ugh
October 19th, 2023 at 1:07 PM ^
Any violation would have to do with in-person scouting, not “sign stealing.”
The only rule against sign stealing would involve in-game electronic relaying of opponent’s signs to players/coaches — like the Houston Astros situation.
This all seems like a big nothing, ultimately.
October 19th, 2023 at 10:28 PM ^
The expense seems like a drop in the bucket even at small schools. High schools routinely send someone to scout their next opponent--at my school, in basketball anyway, it was the 9th grade coach's job. Travel there is just across the county, maybe; we didn't even bother to cover it. The extra expense in college would be a round trip plane ticket somewhere and a night at a motel? And what do you get out of it that you couldn't get from the all-22?
Travel expenses on recruiting would seem far, far higher; the gains from a bigger budget far greater. I don't get it.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
I guarantee every good football program does this.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:17 PM ^
What happened when Clemson was stealing signs?
October 19th, 2023 at 2:02 PM ^
Correct. If they're not sending staff people, they have volunteers doing it who report back to the staff. The reason for the rule is stupid and meaningless these days. Besides, the onus of protecting a team's signals should be on the team that is using them.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:43 PM ^
the yahoo article says the spirit of the law is based on cost. Michigan can afford to send staff to watch games where Bowling Green can't.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:52 PM ^
You can’t just go around scouring your future opponents
October 19th, 2023 at 7:29 PM ^
Let's not forget that the "violation" the NCAA is trying to punish him for already was recruit contact during a covid blackout period, the same covid blackout period OSU flagrantly violated with in person practices, which Harbaugh brought to their attention and they did nothing with.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:29 PM ^
I want my downvotes back
October 19th, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
Tough break, but the downvotes were for going with message board rumor. Should have held out just a couple more minutes.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:57 PM ^
Given the group chats I am in I knew it was more than a rumor when I posted it, those are the breaks I guess.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
Then you should have posted an article like OP.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:46 PM ^
Here, I'll give you another downvote as requested!
October 19th, 2023 at 12:51 PM ^
I saw the rumor on Reddit this morning and couldn't find anything. I considered posting the rumor, but couldn't find anything post worthy. I actually appreciate the info even though you were 5 minutes early.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
There's just more and more swirl on this team under Harbaugh every second. They have never ending distractions.
I hope we win it all but if this is the new norm, might soon be time to pass the torch.
We can scream that they're out to get us if we want but.. at some point something has to change.
This is an integrity thing, not a cheeseburger thing.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^
You and I must have very different definitions of integrity.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
It stinks of cheating.. Is my point. If you say, nbd, okay.. But then why is it a rule and why is it allegedly happening?
Again, just saying, seems like Harbaugh, perhaps unfairly, attracts this attention from the ineffectual NCAA... And Michigan plays along
October 19th, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
In this realm, cheating accusations are an integrity issue. Not talking about real life
October 19th, 2023 at 12:50 PM ^
Lol accusations of cheating are literally never going to stop no matter who's coaching or how clean they are. There's nothing we can do about the inferiority complexes of other schools or organizations. Grow the fuck up.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^
Clutch those pearls a little harder!
October 19th, 2023 at 12:39 PM ^
Do you want wins or do you want to play patty cake? NCAA is a dirty sport.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
Fair. I'll take it. That's a legit response and I'm good with winning.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
You seem to have a consistently low threshold for concern trolling.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:02 PM ^
Absolute clown comment. Get a grip ffs
October 19th, 2023 at 1:15 PM ^
Setting your moral code in line with the NCAA rulebook is an interesting life choice.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:16 PM ^
Let's see what actual evidence comes out of this before we make sweeping wholesale judgments. Right now, all we have are accusations and rumors that may or may not be true.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
There's zero reason the team would violate the same season in-person scouting rule. Also, there's no reason to believe it has anything to do with this year. Last year, there were anonymous quotes that apparently came from position coaches saying "Michigan is really good at stealing signs, hence half time adjustments." Also, stealing signs during a game isn't illegal unless it's communicated electronically. It may be frowned upon, but that's it,
October 19th, 2023 at 1:19 PM ^
Article said two of our opponents this year complained that we were really good at stealing their signs, and thus, MSU and our future opponents have been notified.
tl;dr - Scott Frost's mom and Greg Schiano aren't happy about losing.
October 19th, 2023 at 5:15 PM ^
If Steinbrenner wasn't dead, I'm sure he would have been behind this. He hired Drew Henson away to stop Michigan in the past. That evil cad!
Someone in the NCAA is a f****** Buckeye. They want Harbaugh out. He has humiliated Buckeye nation these past two years and is on script to do it again this year. He called out their coach and there is nothing they can do about it ..............without the help of the NCAA!
October 19th, 2023 at 1:25 PM ^
Yeah so far, the original reporting makes it sound like a fishing expedition. Two opponents are mad. But there is no hard evidence they've sent employees to attend games. I bet one of the complainers is Tom Allen since his seat is getting super hot. The other I'm going to guess is MSU from last year, trying to create a distraction 2 days before the game.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^
Why do you think there is zero reason the team would violate the same season in person scouting rule? I could 100% see Harbaugh thinking that the rule is stupid is a fuck (which it is) and I could also see Harbaugh thinking that he wants to get every advantage that he can because he lives to compete and win at football.
So I would not at all be surprised if Michigan violated that rule. The bigger issue is how completely arbitrary and out of touch the rule is with the modern game.
October 19th, 2023 at 7:34 PM ^
I want to know which of our two previous opponents warranted a Michigan coach to think "Ya know, we need to break NCAA regulations and send a team representative to steal their signs in person, or else we could be in trouble."
October 19th, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
"Regardless, the extent of this operation apparently concerned the NCAA."
I think they mean, "regardless, the identity of the program and coach, along with the opportunity to become more irritating, concerned the NCAA."
October 19th, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
F*ck em.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:32 PM ^
If true, such a boneheaded move by Michigan! There are many other avenues to scout/observe the other teams. Especially when every single game is broadcast, in-person viewing is not necessary.
Why would you even think of this?
October 19th, 2023 at 12:32 PM ^
Thank God Warde voluntarily suspended Harbaugh for three games. The NCAA seems satisfied with that. /s
October 19th, 2023 at 12:34 PM ^
I guess Aidan Hutchinson brought the sign-stealer to the NFL with him too.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^
Lets say Alabama and Michigan were dead even on the bending the rules scales. Alabama had this much success for 15 years and weve had it for 2 seasons. It just blows my mind the amount of NCAA attention a playoff making Michigan football team gets. Shouldnt Georgia OSU and Alabama have a ton of issues over the years? Its just noise go out and win it all.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
OSU is clearly paying recruits yet there is no investigation there. Time for someone to grow a backbone in the athletic department.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:39 PM ^
SEC teams basically killed each other by reporting on each other in the past. I wonder if the 'mutually assured destruction' element there is keeping them in line these days.
Our rivals meanwhile are probably pretty certain that Michigan isn't going to 'return the favor'.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
It's nothing new. After Michigan won the national title in 1997, the NCAA was so upset they went over the entire program with a fine-toothed comb and came up with, Marcus Ray maybe had improper contact with an NFL scout (and it turns out it did happen, but it was the NFL guy that behaved improperly). Needless to say, Nebraska got away with much worse. Carr still suspended his best safety for half the '98 season to make them happy.
That should've been the first clue.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:59 PM ^
They just self report all their violations and the NCAA seems to be fine with that
October 19th, 2023 at 1:29 PM ^
It's very obviously a personal vendetta.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
harbaughs never forget.....
October 19th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
defund the NCAA
Unless there is specific proof with specific examples this is just coaches being butthurt
October 19th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
The NCAA in general seems to have a vendetta against Harbaugh and is not an organization whom I trust to investigate anyone
Also - re: sign stealing/scouting...we'll wait and see. But if this is akin to what Clemson was doing during their run, it seems like it's inherently not a problem with anyone before now.
October 19th, 2023 at 12:41 PM ^
Sign stealing isn't illegal if you're just good at it. It is illegal under some specific circumstances, and my guess is those will be impossible to prove. Not that that matters to the NCAA, they just want to look busy, so they start investigations on the only campus that still opens their letters.