Sherrone Moore releases statement on NCAA punishments against Michigan in sign-stealing investigation

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore released a statement Friday afternoon after the NCAA announced punishments relating to its sign-stealing investigation. Moore received a two-year show cause order, as well as an additional game suspension to start the 2026 season.

Moore was one of four coaches on the 2023 staff to receive show-cause orders, the NCAA said. Former head coach Jim Harbaugh received a 10-year show cause while Connor Stalions – the former analyst who was at the center of the investigation – got an eight-year order. Denard Robinson also received a three-year show cause.

Moore’s statement came as Michigan announced it plans to appeal Friday’s decision. He said his focus will remain on the 2025 season, which will officially get underway Aug. 30.

“I am glad that this part of the process has been completed,” Moore said. “I greatly respect the rules governing collegiate athletics and it is my intent to have our program comply with those rules at all times I will continue to focus my attention on our team and the upcoming 2025 season.”

The NCAA placed Michigan on four years of probation and added an additional game suspension for coach Moore in 2026. He is already serving a self-imposed two-game suspension this year.

UM will also pay a fine of $50,000 plus 10% of the football program’s budget, a fine “equal to the anticipated loss of postseason competition revenue-sharing from 2025 and 2026,” and the equivalent to 10% of scholarships awarded for 2025-26. In addition, the Wolverines will see a 25% reduction in football official visits for 2025-26 and have a 14-week prohibition on football recruiting communications.

The decision comes after the NCAA’s investigation into Michigan began in 2023, when news broke of an alleged sign-stealing scheme orchestrated by Stalions. He later resigned from his position and Harbaugh served a suspension handed down by the Big Ten under its sportsmanship clause to end the regular season.

A hearing took place in June regarding the Stalions case, and the former analyst made an appearance. ESPN’s Dan Wetzel reported Michigan faced 11 violations, including six Level I – the most serious according to NCAA rules. The expectation was a ruling would come down before the 2025 season officially started.

The investigation’s focus on Sherrone Moore centered on 50 text messages he allegedly deleted the day news broke of the sign-stealing scandal in October 2023. When asked about those messages in August 2024, the Michigan head coach said he “looked forward to them being released.”