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Michigan, Sherrone Moore drop NCAA appeals — case officially closed

Anthony Broomeby: Anthony Broome17 hours agoanthonytbroome
Syndication: Detroit Free Press
Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, center, watches warmup ahead of the Washington game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press via Imagn syndication)

Michigan Wolverines football head coach Sherrone Moore and the University have both withdrawn their appeals in the NCAA infractions case centered around advanced scouting and recruiting violations.

The Wolverine’s Chris Balas was the first to report in last Friday’s Inside The Fort, and ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel followed up with confirmation on Monday evening.

According to the ESPN report, Moore withdrew his appeal on September 29, and U-M withdrew its appeal on October 6.

The crux of Michigan’s potential appeal seemed to be potentially offsetting over $30 million in fines imposed instead of a postseason ban.

Moore, who served a school-imposed two-game suspension this season against Central Michigan and Nebraska, will also have a third game to serve in next season’s opener vs. Western Michigan. He is also serving a two-year show-cause order.

Balas’ ITF said:
It became clear as it went on — and again, we reported as much from sources on both sides — that the vacating wins and postseason bans weren’t happening. We also didn’t expect an appeal if those didn’t occur …

And now, sources tell us, Michigan probably won’t pursue it after all, letting sleeping dogs lie. 

“We are not appealing,” a source close to it said. “There’s no point. We can just move on. We have the money, and at the end of the day …”

Well … they won. 

Other penalties levied by the NCAA included an 8-year show-cause penalty for staffer Connor Stalions, the focus of the advanced scouting case, and a 10-year show-case order for former head coach Jim Harbaugh, now with the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL.

This brings the saga to a close with Michigan and the NCAA with all of the accomplishments from the 2021-23 seasons staying intact, headlined by a 15-0 season and College Football Playoff National Championship in 2023.

Michigan went 40-3 between the 2021-23 campaigns, which included three Big Ten Championships, three wins over the Ohio State Buckeyes, three trips to the playoff and its title in 2023, which came via wins over Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Washington in the title game in Houston.