Former Michigan football analyst Connor Stalions is denying that he disguised himself to spy on the Central Michigan football sideline. Stalions is cooperating with a Netflix documentary to tell his side of the story, in regards to a sign-stealing scandal that has brought negative attention to the Wolverines football program.
Video footage seemed to show Stalions wearing a disguise to spy on Central Michigan football, in a game the school played against Michigan State. Stalions rejects the notion that he ever spied.
“One, I’ve never advance scouted,” Stalions said, per The Athletic. “Two, if this was about signals, I obtain signals the way every other team does, through watching TV copies and talking to other intel guys from other teams. What set me apart was the way in which I organized the information and processed it on gameday.”
Michigan football and Stalions parted ways in 2023. The program is facing NCAA sanctions after receiving a notice of violations for its alleged practices. The school is accused of stealing signs from other schools while Jim Harbaugh was the head coach. The scandal has put a dark cloud over the 2024 season.
Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore may be punished due to this investigation
Michigan football now has Sherrone Moore leading the program, after Harbaugh exited to go to the NFL. Moore served as interim coach at the end of the 2023 season, while Harbaugh sat out due to a self-imposed suspension. Moore earned an important victory over Ohio State, that led the team to the Big Ten championship game. Harbaugh sat due to this ongoing investigation.
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That suspension didn’t seem to be enough to please the NCAA. The organization sent a final notice of violations to Michigan earlier this week. The school is accused of sign-stealing, and Moore and Harbaugh could face disciplinary sanctions. Moore is accused of deleting text messages that pertained to the probe. He could face a suspension and show cause penalty, but the Wolverines will get a chance to appeal the allegations.
All of this drama is distracting the Michigan football from its upcoming campaign. There’s a lot of change in Ann Arbor, as the school is bringing in several new players to run alongside their new head coach. Michigan opens their 2024 season with a contest Saturday against Fresno State.
The Wolverines are ranked no. 9 in the country, per the preseason Associated Press College Football poll. Time will tell if this ongoing probe proves to be too much of a distraction to the Wolverines.
