How Michigan football avoided postseason ban despite ‘overwhelming evidence’

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Michigan Wolverines football program faces a substantial financial penalty after the NCAA uncovered a multi-year sign-stealing scheme led by Connor Stalions.

However, the Wolverines retained their 2023 national championship and avoided a postseason ban, despite the violations.

Following the NCAA’s release on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, fans of college football quickly questioned why Michigan was not hit with harsher penalties.

The NCAA’s Division I Committee on Infractions issued a 74-page report outlining its case against the football program, detailing violations committed under former head coach Jim Harbaugh’s leadership over several seasons prior.

The committee said there was “overwhelming evidence” of an impermissible scouting scheme.

It criticized Harbaugh for running a program “largely dismissive of rules compliance,” with “little, if any, emphasis on following the rules.”

Harbaugh, now preparing for his second season as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers after leaving Michigan, was labeled a repeat violator and received a 10-year show-cause order set to begin in August 2028.

Current Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore received a two-year show-cause order and an additional game suspension for the 2026 season, which will likely be the Western Michigan home opener in Germany.

This is in addition to a two-game suspension Michigan self-imposed for the 2025 season.

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At his press conference on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, Moore declined to comment on the then-anticipated NCAA ruling, stating he was focused on the present.

“TNT. Today, not tomorrow. That’s all I’m worried about,” said Moore.

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Michigan faces fines expected to total between $20 million and $30 million.

Despite the violations, the Wolverines were not banned from the postseason.

The NCAA noted that a postseason ban would normally be “required” for Level I-Aggravated violations.

However, the Committee on Infractions chose to convert that penalty into a financial one.

“A postseason ban is required in this case. Michigan’s case is Level I-Aggravated. See Bylaw 19.12.7.1 (establishing that postseason bans are reserved for Level I cases that lack exemplary cooperation and shall be prescribed in Level I-Aggravated cases). Michigan is also a repeat violator.

See Bylaw 19.12.6.2 (identifying that repeat violator status is sufficient grounds to prescribe a postseason ban, even in cases where the institution earned exemplary cooperation).

Given those facts, a multi-year postseason ban would be appropriate. That said, the NCAA Constitution states, ‘Division and, as appropriate, conference regulations must ensure to the greatest extent possible that penalties imposed for infractions do not punish programs and student-athletes not involved nor implicated in the infractions.’ See NCAA Constitution 4-B-4.

The panel determines that a postseason ban would unfairly penalize student-athletes for the actions of coaches and staff who are no longer associated with the Michigan football program. Thus, a more appropriate penalty is an offsetting financial penalty.”

The committee also highlighted the need to update NCAA penalties:“As the COI opined in Tennessee, the current Figure 19-1 Penalty Guidelines and rationale associated with the adoption of those guidelines are at odds with the current state of college athletics.

Given the significant changes to the college landscape, it is incumbent upon the NCAA membership to review and modify the Figure 19-1 Penalty Guidelines to ensure that they align with the membership’s expectations and include modernized and meaningful penalties. The COI welcomes the opportunity to provide its perspective and develop a modernized, meaningful penalty structure.”

Committee on Infractions

The NCAA stated in their investigation that they could not consider vacating any of the Wolverines’ accomplishments from 2021 to 2023, so punishing current players for the finding was ruled out.

What’s next?

With the investigation finally behind them, the Wolverines are focusing on naming a quarterback ahead of their season opener against the New Mexico Lobos inside The Big House on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 7:30 p.m. on NBC.

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