NCAA says Jim Harbaugh displayed 'dishonest conduct' in Notice of Allegations against Michigan

The NCAA sent an 11-page Notice of Allegations to Michigan in December, and its contents have now been revealed in a report by the Detroit Free Press.

The NOA consists of information connecting to the Wolverines with having “impermissible,” contact with recruits during the COVID-19 dead period. The notice also says that former head coach Jim Harbaugh took place in “dishonest conduct,” and that another staffer took place in “verboten,” on-field activity.

All names other than Harbaugh’s on Michigan’s staff were redacted under the Freedom of Information Act.

The first count — deemed a Level II infraction — involved members of the football staff providing a recruit (dubbed ‘Athlete 1’) access to the Michigan football facilities and meeting with him in the weight room. The NCAA says that staffers met another recruit and his father at a local restaurant where the football program provided them a discounted meal. Another occasion was recounted, this time at a restaurant where the food was “cost-free.”

“The enforcement staff believes a hearing panel could conclude that Allegation No. 1 is Level II because the violations (a) were intentional, (b) were not isolated or limited, (c) provided or were intended to provide more than a minimal recruiting or other advantage, (d) involved multiple recruiting violations and (e) compromised the integrity of the NCAA Collegiate Model,” the document reads,” it reads, via the Detroit Free Press’ report.

The second allegation reads that a staffer supplied “technical or tactical instruction to football student-athletes,” and was “present for on-campus evaluations of 28 prospective student-athletes.” The staffer provided “false or misleading information” regarding their knowledge of the “impermissible in-person on and off campus recruiting.”

No. 4 states that the staffer had “regularly engaged in permissible coaching activities in the presence of the assistant football coaches.”

No. 5 determined that the “institution did not (a) effectively deter and/or detect the football program’s impermissible in-person on-campus and off-campus interactions with prospective student-athletes and (b) ensure the football program’s compliance with non-coaching staff member legislation during the 2021 (redacted) period and on-campus evaluation restrictions.”

According to the Detroit Free Press, this is what Harbaugh served his three-game suspension for to begin the 2023 regular season.

The third violation involved Harbaugh sitting down with investigations for an interview regarding the matter, and he allegedly gave misleading answers to their questions. He was cited for a Level I citation for this.

“The violations involved unethical or dishonest conduct and a failure to cooperate, which are presumed Level I and seriously undermined or threatened the integrity of the NCAA Collegiate Mode,” the notice reads.

Michigan has since been put on probation for three years which will consist of a fine for the program and recruiting restrictions.