The sign-stealing investigation into the Michigan Wolverines football program has taken the college football world by storm. Nearly everyone has an opinion on the matter. And Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema weighed in on the controversy on Thursday.
Illinois doesn’t have Michigan on their schedule this season. But the two teams did face off last season. And Bielema was asked on Thursday if he has rewatched that game to see if he could find any suspicious behavior from the Michigan sidelines during the game.
“I appreciate the question,” Bielema told reporters. “Obviously, we don’t play them this year, so I haven’t (watched the game). When the point and time comes to say something, I’ll have a lot to say. I don’t really know anything more than what I know. These stories are always so much better when you aren’t in it.
#Illini head coach Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) was asked today about the Michigan investigation & if he's ever re-watched the 2022 game with a skeptical eye.
Here is the full answer of what the Illinois third-year head coach had to say…. pic.twitter.com/2WmbLlu6hN
— Matthew Stevens (@matthewcstevens) November 9, 2023
“If anything was going on off-campus like it has been noted. That’s sickening, it’s disgusting. But I’ll let them figure that part out. As coaches, we have to hold up the integrity of the league. We have to feel like everyone is playing by the same rules and kinda go forward from there.”
This is pretty much on par with the reaction from several other Big Ten coaches who have spoken about the sign-stealing scandal. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, Michigan State interim head coach Harlon Barnett, and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day are just a few of the many coaches who have spoken out against Michigan amidst their investigation.
It still remains to be seen what type of disciplinary actions could come towards Michigan as a program for this scandal. But it seems pretty that nearly everyone wants to see them receive some sort of punishment for this.
