On Sept. 2, 2021, the Gophers opened their football season against fourth-ranked Ohio State, a prime-time matchup that drew 50,805 to Huntington Bank Stadium. According to the University of Minnesota's ticket records, one of those tickets was sold via StubHub to Connor Stalions, then a volunteer assistant for the Michigan football program.
The seat was in Section 142, across the field from the Buckeyes sideline.
Flash forward two years, and Stalions, a former Marine captain, is an analyst for the Wolverines who suddenly is at the center of an alleged signal-stealing operation in the Michigan program. The NCAA informed the Big Ten and Michigan last week that it has opened an investigation of the program, and Michigan last Friday promptly suspended Stalions with pay.
In a nutshell, teams often during games try to decipher the signals that an opponent uses to call its plays, both on offense and defense, hoping to gain an edge. Stealing signals during a game is not against NCAA rules. But scouting games against future opponents in person is an NCAA violation, as is filming the game on site. A team cannot legally send a scout to an opponent's game and have the scout videotape the sideline to pilfer the opponent's signals, and that's what Stalions is alleged to have orchestrated for Michigan.
Wednesday night, the Michigan story became even bigger. The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, reported that a third-party investigative firm presented documents and videos to the NCAA detailing the scope of the Wolverines' signal-stealing operation.
Some of the evidence that the firm gave to the NCAA, according to the Post, includes:
• Documents and videos mined from computer drives that were accessed by multiple Michigan coaches. That would seem to refute the possibility that Stalions was running a rogue operation.
• A detailed listing, including financial figures, of planned travel to Wolverines opponents' games in order to have scouts record video of sideline signals. The plan showed that 40 games involving 10 opponents were targeted.
Earlier this week, ESPN reported that Stalions bought tickets over a three-year period for more than 30 games involving 12 of the other 13 Big Ten teams and other contenders for the College Football Playoff. The Gophers did not play Michigan in 2021, but that Gophers-Ohio State matchup was of interest to the Wolverines, who went on to defeat their rival Buckeyes in the regular-season finale.
Yahoo Sports reported that multiple Big Ten staff members identified Stalions as Michigan's signal-stealing expert when the report of the NCAA investigation emerged
Also making the rounds with follow-up stories are photos of Stalions, holding a notebook, on the Michigan sideline during games, often right next to coach Jim Harbaugh or assistant coaches.
Harbaugh issued a statement denying any knowledge of or involvement in scouting by his staff that violates NCAA rules. Earlier this season, Harbaugh served a three-game Michigan-imposed suspension related to on- and off-campus recruiting during the COVID-19 dead period, and for allowing off-field staff to do on-field coaching. The NCAA has yet to rule on that case.
Under Harbaugh, the Wolverines have won the past two Big Ten championships and advanced to the College Football Playoff in 2021 and 2022, losing in the semifinals to Georgia, then Texas Christian. This year, Michigan is 8-0, ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 and is in line to make another playoff appearance.
Suddenly, there's a bump in the Wolverines' road to a third consecutive berth in the playoff.
The Post's article and the video evidence might or might not qualify as the smoking gun in this situation, but it sure seems like the scent of gunpowder is wafting around.
The question now becomes: What will the NCAA or Big Ten do about these Michigan allegations if they are proven true?
NCAA investigations, history shows, often move at a snail's pace, so any NCAA punishment likely wouldn't happen until 2024.
Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, according to an ESPN report, has authority under the conference's sportsmanship policy to impose discipline if he determines offensive actions have happened. The Big Ten has two disciplinary categories: fines of up to $10,000 and a suspension of two games, or an enhanced punishment that requires approval from an executive committee.
With so much yet to play out, it would be a bold but unlikely move for Petitti to come down hard on Michigan to the point where it impacted its playoff chances. Instead, look for any formal discipline to come next year. Fans can decide for themselves if Michigan's success is tainted.
