Pete Thamel: Judge will determine whether Jim Harbaugh coaches vs. Penn State

On Friday, the Big Ten Conference suspended Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh from the team’s sidelines for the three remaining games in the regular season. During an appearance on ESPN, Pete Thamel provided details on how Michigan may respond legally.

“All week, Michigan had indicated and lawyers around Michigan had indicated that they would fight a ruling against Jim Harbaugh,” Thamel said. “The steps that would take place if they did indeed do that would be to attempt to get a temporary restraining order, or TRO as they call it.

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“They are able to do that, at least get a hearing for it, on Veterans Day, even though the courts are closed. They’re expected to go to [a local court],” Thamel said. “Nebraska actually sued the Big Ten. Eight players did in 2020 when they canceled the season. They went to a local court as well. That may be instructive for the plan of how Michigan moves forward in this.”

.@PeteThamel has the latest on Michigan and Jim Harbaugh’s suspension: pic.twitter.com/Jg8Dv72l4t

— ESPN (@espn) November 10, 2023

The Big Ten announced the suspension while Michigan’s team was heading toward Penn State on an airplane. Nonetheless, it didn’t take long for the program to respond. As Thamel expected, Michigan will pursue legal action.

Michigan responds to Big Ten’s decision

“Like all members of the Big Ten Conference, we are entitled to a fair, deliberate, and thoughtful process to determine the full set of facts before a judgment is rendered,” the program wrote in response to the suspension. “Today’s action by Commissioner Tony Petitti disregards the Conference’s own handbook, violates basic tenets of due process, and sets an untenable precedent of assessing penalties before an investigation has been completed. We are dismayed at the Commissioner’s rush to judgment when there is an ongoing NCAA investigation – one in which we are fully cooperating.

“Commissioner Petitti’s hasty action today suggests that this is more about reacting to pressure from other Conference members than a desire to apply the rules fairly and impartially. By taking this action at this hour, the Commissioner is personally inserting himself onto the sidelines and altering the level playing field that he is claiming to preserve. And, doing so on Veteran’s Day – a court holiday – to try to thwart the University from seeking immediate judicial relief is hardly a profile in impartiality. To ensure fairness in the process, we intend to seek a court order, together with Coach Harbaugh, preventing this disciplinary action from taking effect.”

With or without Harbaugh, Michigan will take on Penn State this weekend. The two teams will face off on Saturday at noon ET. The game will be broadcast on FOX.