Adam Ruff/AP
The University of Michigan’s alleged sign-stealing operation may have included other schools, sources informed The Washington Post and FootballScoop.
Last week, the university — as well as the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference — announced that Michigan’s football program was under investigation amid allegations of sign-stealing. In the wake of this revelation, a Michigan staffer at the center of the investigation named Connor Stalions was suspended by the school.
Days later, sources told ESPN that Stalions purchased more than 30 tickets to games over the last three years. The games did not involve Michigan, but they did include either one or two opponents that Michigan was scheduled to face later in the season. One source also said their university had surveillance footage of someone — in the exact seat Stalions purchased — seemingly recording a team’s sideline.
Now, sources have revealed just how expansive the alleged network was. According to the Post, an outside firm began investigating Michigan this season. The firm’s evidence led to the NCAA announcement.
Included in the evidence was a travel schedule indicating which games Michigan scouts would attend. The schedule also included a travel budget. The most frequent school on the schedule was Ohio State University, Michigan’s toughest opponent in the conference. Scouts were slated to attend at least eight Buckeyes games, costing the school $3,000 for travel and tickets.
Georgia, an SEC school that Michigan could potentially face in the College Football Playoff, had four games on the schedule.
The firm also provided the NCAA with photos of the scouts “in action,” holding their phones up toward the sidelines. According to a source, the photos and videos taken by scouts were uploaded to a computer drive that was accessed by Stalions and other coaches.
Some have suggested that the footage wasn’t just used by Michigan. Sources told FootballScoop that Michigan may have tried helping the opponents of other top teams in an effort to “disrupt that team’s potential path to the Playoff.”
While sign stealing isn’t technically illegal, the NCAA prohibits off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents. Using technology to record opponents’ signs is also against the rules.
That being the case, some people — like Barstool’s Dave Portnoy — consider the issue to be overblown. Coaches have also weighed in, with a few indicating that sign stealing is common but not a big deal.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]