Paul Finebaum on Jim Harbaugh, NCAA situation: 'A disaster on both sides'

The story of the investigation around Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh took another turn this weekend when the powers at be called off the four-game suspension of the Wolverine’s head coach with the matter now headed for a committee.

Now, at this point, Paul Finebaum just feels like all parties involved have eggs on their face. While speaking on the matter on SportsCenter this weekend, he described it as “a disaster” for both Harbaugh and the NCAA. It’s a bad look for Harbaugh considering he could have avoided it and it’s a bad look for the NCAA considering it’s going to continue on from here.

“It’s really been a disaster on both sides. If you go back, and nobody wants to go too far back? Harbaugh could have gotten out of this by admitting that he misled NCAA investigators. He refused,” said Finebaum. “Now, again, maybe he’s a great man of principle but most would have wanted to move this away. Now it keeps dragging on. Ultimately, it will probably get to the NCAA committee.”

With the Wolverines kicking off in a little over two weeks, this is a major development to have their coach back on the sidelines. That’s why, in the end, Finebaum believes those in Ann Arbor are the only winners in the whole thing.

“The only good news for Michigan fans? He was supposed to miss four games against a bunch of nobodies,” said Finebaum. “This thing could drag on until the end of the season. And I don’t think, in the end, that it’s going to affect Michigan very much other than negative headlines.”

Harbaugh has maintained his innocence in the case of a recruiting violation back during the pandemic. The NCAA doesn’t see it that way, though, considering their initial four-game suspension and their continued pursuit of Harbaugh.

Still, it’s an issue that looks as though it’ll continue to draw out for all sides. That lack of resolution is exactly why Finebaum thinks it’s a mess and will continue to be moving forward.

Finebaum calls NCAA handling of Jim Harbaugh suspension ‘a clown show’

News emerged about one of college football’s anticipated playoff contenders on Tuesday, with a report breaking that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is facing a likely four-game suspension over alleged violations of NCAA rules.

At least one ESPN analyst is staunchly in Harbaugh’s corner on the whole ordeal.

“Let’s start with the NCAA. It’s beyond a clown show, Greeney. It is a clown show. And the fact that that they would sanction him for this is really beyond the pale,” Paul Finebaum said on ‘Get Up’. “I mean, essentially, he’s accused of buying somebody a hamburger. And then not telling the truth about it.”

Finebaum seemed to applaud Harbaugh for sticking it to the NCAA.

“I mean, (Mike Greenberg), don’t eject me out of my seat here, but I’m starting to respect Jim Harbaugh for standing firm and refusing to go down the NCAA’s path,” Finebaum said. “This could have been over with a long time ago, but Harbaugh would not admit he lied. And because the NCAA is so backward and so antediluvian, they ended up with this agreement.

“In the end, the NCAA has no jurisdiction over anyone or anybody and they can’t push things too far, because the schools will take them to court and the NCAA maybe will lose. But, in the end, I think Jim Harbaugh looks really good here.”