BREAKING: U-M will no longer fight Jim Harbaugh suspension, coach will miss Maryland, OSU games

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh will miss two more games this year and U-M will no longer fight it in court. As reported earlier this week, talks between Michigan and the Big Ten continued after Washtenaw County judges punted on a ruling for U-M’s request for a temporary restraining order last Friday, but sources say new revelations and uncertainty over the case made them change course.

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The U-M President’s office confirmed in a release today.

“This morning, the University, Coach Harbaugh, and the Big Ten resolved their pending litigation.  The Conference agreed to close its investigation, and the University and Coach Harbaugh agreed to accept the three-game suspension. Coach Harbaugh, with the University’s support, decided to accept this sanction to return the focus to our student athletes and their performance on the field.  The Conference has confirmed that it is not aware of any information suggesting Coach Harbaugh’s involvement in the allegations. The University continues to cooperate fully with the NCAA’s investigation,” it read.

Judge Timothy Connors had set a hearing for this Friday, Nov. 17, at which both sides were expected to present their arguments. Michigan had initially hoped it wouldn’t come to that and that they could get Harbaugh’s approval on a potential deal. Instead, neither will happen and he’ll miss the last two regular season games. Should the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes, they’re likely headed to the Big Ten championship game for a third season in a row, probably to face Iowa. That would be true even in the unlikely case of a loss at Maryland.

Michigan assistant Sherrone Moore led the Wolverines to a 24-15 win at Penn State in Harbaugh’s absence and will coach the Wolverines in College Park Saturday, as well, and against OSU. Harbaugh has been coaching the team during practices the last two weeks and involved in the day-to-day activities since being suspended Nov. 10 — Veteran’s Day — just 20 hours before kickoff against Penn State. Michigan lawyers filed a request for injunction but didn’t get a “yes” or a “no” despite reports it might be ruled upon just before kickoff against the Nittany Lions.

The announcement from Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti — first leaked to the media, incredibly, before Michigan or Harbaugh were informed — came 23 days after the NCAA first notified conference and Michigan officials it had “credible information” U-M had been involved in an alleged illegal on-site scouting operation. That allegedly involved a sign-stealing ring led by analyst Connor Stalions, who resigned weeks ago and issued a statement that he had acted alone.

Petitti, in a letter addressed to Michigan athletics director Warde Manuel Friday, said the Big Ten believed Michigan “violated the Sportsmanship Policy because a University football staff member engaged in an organized, extensive, years-long in-person advance scouting scheme that was impermissible.”

“The goal of the scheme was to gain an unfair advantage by stealing the signs of teams that the University’s football team was due to play later in the season,” Petitti said. “Such misconduct inherently compromises the integrity of competition.” He essentially added that punishing Harbaugh, even though he wasn’t known to be directly involved per the NCAA, was the best way to punish Michigan.

Michigan responded in a letter from President Santa Ono’s office that the punishment was unfair without due process.

“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,” Ono wrote in defense of Harbaugh. “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,” it reads. “We are dismayed at the Commissioner’s rush to judgment when there is an ongoing NCAA investigation – one in which we are fully cooperating.”

Watch for more on this breaking story in the hours to come …