Michigan and head coach Sherrone Moore withdrew separate appeals with the NCAA Committee on Infractions related to punishment levied for their role in the program’s sign-stealing violations.
Former head coach Jim Harbaugh was hit with a show-cause penalty in August when the NCAA also punished Moore and fined the university for what it termed multiple Level I violations for “impermissible off-campus scouting.” The fine could reach $30 million based on past revenue sharing from the Big Ten Conference.
The NCAA COI database recorded withdrawn appeals by the University of Michigan on Oct. 6, one week after Moore ended his appeal.
Michigan won the national championship and went undefeated under Harbaugh in 2023 when Moore served as offensive coordinator. The NCAA did not vacate wins from that season or previous years but found unpaid assistant Connor Stalions was assisting the Wolverines by illegally stealing the play-call signs of opponents and exploiting the advantage on game day.
Moore, who served a two-game suspension earlier this season and is scheduled to sit out the 2026 season opener against Western Michigan, has a two-year show-cause penalty. The NCAA asserts Moore destroyed evidence and failed to be forthcoming with the committee during the investigation into Stalions and what other coaches on the staff knew and when.
When the ruling became public in August, Moore and Michigan vowed to fight the penalties.
“In a number of instances the decision makes fundamental errors in interpreting NCAA bylaws; and it includes a number of conclusions that are directly contrary to the evidence — or lack of evidence — in the record,” the university said in August.
–Field Level Media
