Michigan and NCAA reach settlement over COVID-19 recruiting violations
The University of Michigan and the NCAA have reached an agreement on the penalty for recruiting violations committed during the COVID-19 pandemic – coined “Burgergate” by many – which include a fine, three-years probation, recruiting restrictions and a one-year show-cause for “five individuals” involved in the violations.
At this point, it is unclear what the specific penalties are as it pertains to recruiting restrictions.
“Today’s joint resolution pertains to the University of Michigan Athletic Department and several former and current employees,” athletic director Warde Manuel said. “We are pleased to reach a resolution on this matter so that our student-athletes and our football program can move forward. We have no additional information and cannot comment further on other aspects of the NCAA’s inquiries.”
One “former coach”, presumably now Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, did not participate in the agreement. The NCAA has separated that portion of the case and will determine a course of action with the former coach at a later time.
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“Coach Harbaugh filed a lengthy response to the NOA, which unfortunately has not been made public,” Harbaugh’s lawyer, Tom Mars, said in a statement to The Detroit News. “I see that Michigan changed its position to get this resolved, which is not surprising. I can almost hear the wheels of the bus going ‘whomp, whomp.’”
From the NCAA release:
Michigan and five individuals who currently or previously worked for its football program have reached an agreement with NCAA enforcement staff on recruiting violations and coaching activities by noncoaching staff members that occurred within the football program, and the appropriate penalties for those violations. A Committee on Infractions panel has approved the agreement. One former coach did not participate in the agreement, and that portion of the case will be considered separately by the Committee on Infractions, after which the committee will release its full decision.
The agreed-upon violations involve impermissible in-person recruiting contacts during a COVID-19 dead period, impermissible tryouts, and the program exceeding the number of allowed countable coaches when noncoaching staff members engaged in on- and off-field coaching activities (including providing technical and tactical skills instruction to student-athletes). The negotiated resolution also involved the school’s agreement that the underlying violations demonstrated a head coach responsibility violation and the former football head coach failed to meet his responsibility to cooperate with the investigation. The school also agreed that it failed to deter and detect the impermissible recruiting contacts and did not ensure that the football program adhered to rules for noncoaching staff members.
The committee will not discuss further details in the case to protect the integrity of the ongoing process, as the committee’s final decision — including potential violations and penalties for the former coach — is pending.
Michigan was accused of impermissable contact with recruits during the pandemic, which included watching prospects work out and do pushups via Zoom, in addition to the famed “Burgergate” incident where Harbaugh was accused of buying a meal for a committed prospect. The case is unrelated to the sign-stealing investigation, which is ongoing.
This story is developing and will be updated when Michigan’s response is public.
