Michigan coach Sherrone Moore could be penalized as the NCAA prepares to release its notice of allegations against the program into an alleged sign-stealing scheme. Michigan received a draft of the NOA this past week, CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd confirms, in which Moore is accused of deleting more than 50 text message exchanges between himself and ex-Wolverines staffer Connor Stalions, who is at the center of the scandal.
Among the possible penalties for Moore are a show-cause and one-game suspension since he would be considered a “repeat violator” due to a separate investigation, settled in April, for recruiting violations during the COVID-19 dead period. That case resulted in three years probation, fines and recruiting restrictions, as well as one-year show-cause for the five coaches involved.
However, these potential penalties for Moore could be subject to change as the NOA draft could change significantly between now and its formal release.
Currently, Moore’s allegations constitute a Level II violation; Level I violations are the most serious in the NCAA’s punishment process. Former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh previously said he was unaware of Stalions’ alleged improper scouting, but Moore’s alleged level of involvement and the extent of his communication with Stalions was previously unclear.
Harbaugh, Stalions, and former staffers Chris Partridge and Denard Robinson are all accused of committing Level 1 violations. Additionally, the school faces a Level 1 violation charge for a “pattern of noncompliance.”
Stalions, who resigned last November, allegedly bought tickets for more than 30 games — many of them within the Big Ten — and used “illegal technology” to steal signs. Photos also appeared to show him on Central Michigan’s sideline for a season-opening game at Michigan State in an apparent effort to conduct illegal scouting of the Spartans. The NOA draft claims evidence that Stalions wore a disguise and coaching gear on the sideline, which “seriously undermined or threatened the integrity of the NCAA collegiate model.”
Sources told Dodd last November that the NCAA’s investigation was being put on a “very fast timeline.” Now, after dragging into the second half of 2024 with no clear resolution for the program, the investigation finally appears to be nearing a conclusion with the draft NOA in place.
If Moore is indeed hit with a suspension, it would mark familiar territory for the program. The Wolverines navigated two separate suspensions for Harbaugh last season with no trouble on the way to a 15-0 season and national title before he left to become coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. However, Michigan faces a tougher 2024 slate, which includes games against Texas and USC in September.
