The University of Michigan football program, under NCAA investigation for allegedly stealing the play-calling signals used by opponents, has suspended a low-level employee.
Athletic director Warde Manuel issued a one-sentence statement Friday, a day after Michigan announced it is under investigation, saying that analytics assistant Connor Stalions was suspended with pay pending the conclusion of the investigation. Stalions had not been previously identified by the school, although he was named in an ESPN report alleging he is a key figure in the probe.
A person who has been briefed on the allegations against Michigan confirmed to The Associated Press that the investigation is focused on Stalions and whether he was involved in sending people to the games of Michigan’s opponents to take videos of teams using sideline signals. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no one was authorized to speak publicly about the NCAA’s investigation.
Stalions served in the Marine Corps, where he was a captain, and is a graduate of the Naval Academy, ESPN reported. He was hired as an off-field analyst at Michigan in May 2022, according to a bio on his LinkedIn account that has since been deleted.
The Wolverines (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten), ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 since the preseason, play at Michigan State (2-4, 0-3) on Saturday. They started their season with coach Jim Harbaugh serving a university-imposed three-game suspension for an NCAA infractions case that remains unresolved. Harbaugh, in his ninth season leading the program at his alma mater, denied any knowledge or involvement in plotting to steal signs.
“I do not have any knowledge or information regarding the University of Michigan football program illegally stealing signals, nor have I directed any staff member or others to participate in an off-campus scouting assignment,” Harbaugh said Thursday. “I have no awareness of anyone on our staff having done that or having directed that action.”
NCAA rules do not directly ban the stealing of signs. There are rules against using electronic equipment to record an opponent’s signals, but what’s mostly at issue with Michigan is whether the Wolverines violated NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1: “Off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents (in the same season) is prohibited.” There are also bylaws prohibiting unsportsmanlike or unethical activities by coaches, and NCAA rules place an onus on a head coach to be responsible for violations that occur under his watch.
The Big Ten notified all of Michigan’s remaining opponents of the investigation.
“As we look forward to the football game this Saturday, we are chagrined by the news of the NCAA investigation and we echo the Big Ten Conference’s commitment to integrity,” Teresa Woodruff, the interim president at Michigan State, said in a statement released Friday. “The allegations are concerning, but will be handled through the NCAA’s process.”
The accusations harken back to the Spygate scandals involving the NFL’s New England Patriots. While NFL teams are permitted to do in-person advance scouting of opponents, the Patriots were fined and stripped of a first-round draft pick by the league after they were found to have had a staff member video an opponent’s sideline signals in 2007, two years after they won the Super Bowl.
Major League Baseball also had a sign-stealing scandal with one of its best teams over the past decade. The Houston Astros were found to have used electronics to steal signs during the team’s run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season.
Michigan is coming off two straight appearances in the College Football Playoff under Harbaugh and is tied with No. 1 Georgia as the odds-on favorite to win the national title, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The first CFP rankings will be released Oct. 31.