The Michigan Wolverines are in the middle of one of their best seasons in recent memory, but it looks like the program is facing a bit of a scandal related to its scouting department.
According to a report from college football insiders Ross Dellenger and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, Michigan is being investigated for alleged rule violations related to sign stealing.
“The NCAA is investigating the Michigan football program for allegedly violating rules that prohibit teams from scouting, in person, future opponents, industry sources told Yahoo Sports,” Dellenger and Wetzel reported for Yahoo! Sports on Thursday afternoon.
The source told Dellenger and Wetzel that the allegation refers to NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1, which reads: “Off-campus, in-person scouring of future opponents (in the same season) is prohibited.”
According to the report, the issue is whether or Michigan is sending unnamed individuals to games of future opponents to gather information on the signs they use to call both offensive and defensive plays.
Dellenger and Wetzel report that two of Michigan’s opponents this season notified Yahoo Sports that they “became aware that Michigan knew their play signs.”
It’s obviously a pretty massive turn of events for Michigan given its status as a legitimate national title contender this season, and the college football world had a lot to say about it on social media as people offered their reactions.
Ryan Day vindicated????? https://t.co/Ps6V6XcwOI
— High Street Cultural Tutor (@proton_don) October 19, 2023
Big day for the message boards. Big day. https://t.co/E3w7G3Hxso
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) October 19, 2023
I think it’s pretty clear what’s going on here and it’s honestly ridiculous. The NCAA will do anything in their power to take Harbaugh down with wild goose chase after wild goose chase and after their burger thing couldn’t take off they had to manufacture another story https://t.co/CCcdnwNPGX
— Parker (@Park3rC) October 19, 2023
If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying. https://t.co/47Jz3WNC7B
— WC (@WolverineCorner) October 19, 2023
So apparently Michigan breaks the most straightforward rules in the dumbest way possible https://t.co/0zDgvE3xZk
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) October 19, 2023
While it’s worth noting that sign stealing is not technically illegal under NCAA rules, scouting opponents in person has been prohibited since 1994.
