Subscribe
Follow Us
We still don't know what the Michigan football team's punishments will be for its sign-stealing scandal that was led by low-level staffer Connor Stalions. The Wolverines were under investigation for a while, and they received a Notice of Allegations (NOA) last summer. Michigan has already issued a self-imposed suspension for head coach Sherrone Moore, but it's unclear what will come down the road. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti made his stance on the situation clear on Monday.
Tony Petitti has not been liked by Michigan football fans after the way that he handled the situation when the news first dropped. Petitti did not do anything to help the Wolverines during the 2023 season, but now, it appears that he is on their side.
“B10 commissioner Tony Petitti sent the NCAA a letter arguing Michigan deserved no further punishment in its advanced scouting case,” Dan Wetzel said in a report.
After the sign-stealing situation came to light during the 2023 season, Petitti helped give the Big Ten's best teams a good chance to show that Michigan couldn't win without the signs. The Wolverines finished that season on the road against #10 Penn State, on the road against Maryland, and home against #2 Ohio State. While Michigan was on their flight to State College to take on the Nittany Lions, Petitti suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh for the remainder of the regular season.
Michigan no longer had Connor Stalions, and then their head coach was suspended for their two biggest games of the regular season. It was the perfect recipe to see if the signs were really why the Wolverines had been winning, but they clearly didn't have any impact there as Michigan won all three games without Harbaugh, and then won the Big Ten and national championship as well.
In Petitti's letter to the NCAA, he noted that he thinks his suspension of Harbaugh was punishment enough.
“In the letter to the NCAA, read at Michigan’s June infractions hearing, Petitti argued that the three game suspension the B10 handed down on Jim Harbaugh is sufficient punishment in the case for the program,” Wetzel's report adds.
An official ruling regarding this investigation is expected to occur before the 2025 season starts. Tony Petitti's stance might not impact the decision at all, but it definitely helps the Michigan football team to have its conference commissioner on its side.
