Why NCAA rules violated by Michigan exist, potential penalty

Michigan‘s sign-stealing debacle has continued to steal headlines around college football heading into Week 9.

The Wolverines have allegedly purchased tickets to over 30 games to watch 11 total Big Ten schools over the last few years. Head coach Jim Harbaugh says he has no knowledge of the situation — but the story keeps getting bigger.

To try and get a better understanding of why Michigan is in trouble for something that — not admittedly — every team does to a certain extent, The Wolverine’s Chris Balas joined On3’s Andy Staples in an attempt to get to the root of this polarizing situation.

“Here’s why it’s against the rules — they implemented it as a cost-cutting measure in 1994. Of course, this was before cell phones and stuff but anybody could bring a camera in there,” Balas told Staples. “There wasn’t anything preventing them from doing it. … In 2021, it was actually proposed that they should overturn the rule anyway saying, ‘You know this is going on, you’re naive if you think it’s not. Students sending film into Alabama saying here are their plays, so on and so forth.

“There was no coordinated effort to stop it and no evidence of it like we see here. It would be very Michigan to be busted doing something a lot of other people do.”

Balas firmly believes Michigan will surrender to the NCAA’s wishes regarding to this situation. They might not roll over and jump through hoops for the national entity, but Balas used the term ‘lay down’ to describe the expected Wolverine response.

At the same time, Balas would be surprised if this investigation had any sort of implication on Michigan’s 2023 season. Given the fact that they’re one of the favorites to win the College Football Playoff this season, a swift ruling would be devastating to Harbaugh and his legacy as Michigan head coach.

“It didn’t have to happen. Somebody a couple of years ago said, when they were looking to change the rule, that the language was that this didn’t give much of a competitive advantage,” Balas continued. “70-75 percent of teams are sign-stealing in some form or another. … To what extent, we don’t know. But I can promise you that there are teams are doing it to the same extent [as Michigan] as far as getting film and studying it.

“I’m not saying sending coaches across the country, but that’s interesting, too. Who’s funding it and where that is going to go.”