Insider predicts Michigan football punishment amid NCAA probe

What can the Michigan football program expect amid rumors the NCAA is about to come down on the Wolverines?

Michigan football could be facing punishment amid an NCAA probe into the sign-stealing allegations. / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan football appears to be in the NCAA's crosshairs amid rumors that a probe into an alleged sign-stealing scheme could result in a potential postseason ban or a suspension for first-year head coach Sherrone Moore.

A reported draft of the NCAA's notice of allegations that will be sent to Michigan in the near future appears to claim former football staffer Connor Stalions led 58 instances of illegal, in-person, off-campus scouting, covering 13 opponents across 53 different games.

What's in store for Michigan in terms of punishment? According to ESPN insider Pete Thamel, the NCAA is unlikely to take away any wins, but it could target the school's new football coach.

"I would think Sherrone Moore faces a short suspension, if you look at the history of this stuff, at the maximum," Thamel said on ESPN.

"To go through sort of the matrix of what could happen to Michigan in this, I don't think they're going to have any type of postseason ban. I don't think, looking at history, and looking at past precedent in this, there's going to be any type of retroactive anything to what they've already won and accomplished."

So, Michigan's wins and its 2023 national championship are, in Thamel's words, "safe."

As appears to be the Wolverines' eligibility in future postseason games, according to his estimation.

"Moore, who's sort of become the base of this notice because the other coaches involved have all gone to the NFL, I would think we will find out in the upcoming weeks and months, depending on how long this takes to litigate, if he does end up getting some kind of suspension," Thamel added.

After speculation that Michigan could have lost wins, or its recent national title, or have potentially been banned from the postseason, this would sound like something fans would sign up for instead.

Whatever the decision, the process appears to be heading towards a conclusion, with Michigan fans awaiting the NCAA's actual ruling.

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