Dan Wetzel on NCAA ruling: 'They never really got Michigan on anything more than what Connor Stalions did'

Read the NCAA’s report on the infractions decision for the Michigan scouting violations, and notice that most of the individuals listed were punished for anything but participating in a scouting scheme.

Former assistant coaches Jesse Minter and Steve Clinkscale negotiated resolutions from recruiting violations that were uncovered during the investigative process, while former assistant director of player personnel Denard Robinson was hit with the same type of infraction.

Jim Harbaugh, who worked at Michigan from 2015-23, was punished for simply being the program’s head coach (under the NCAA’s ‘head coach responsibility’ rule), while low-level staffer Connor Stalions allegedly directed individuals to scout games for him, and attended one contest himself on behalf of Central Michigan. Harbaugh was apparently uncooperative with the investigation, but his counsel, Tom Mars, says otherwise.

The highlighted statements in today’s COI are patently false. There were no communications with me from the NCAA enforcement staff about trying to collect cell phone images, about a deadline, or about interviewing Coach Harbaugh. I received no emails or other correspondence 🧵 https://t.co/Rkz0BR9YE0 pic.twitter.com/tc6r27rIDN

— Tom Mars (@TomMarsLaw) August 16, 2025

Current head coach Sherrone Moore, meanwhile, deleted a thread of 52 text messages with Stalions, but later turned them over. He’ll be suspended three games over the next two seasons, two versus Group of Five opponents Central Michigan (2025) and Western Michigan (2026) and one versus Big Ten foe Nebraska (2025).

The school received stiff financial penalties, four years of probation and recruiting restrictions.

And then there’s Stalions, who will serve an eight-year show cause restricting him from all athletically related activities, effectively ending his college football career for nearly a decade. He’s the lone wolf who received punishment for scouting.

Without due process, Harbaugh was suspended by Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, who shortly before handing out the punishment met with fellow conference coaches that were reportedly enraged about alleged violations they didn’t have complete information on. The Wolverines beat Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State without Harbaugh, part of a 15-0 national championship season.

Harbaugh’s presumed involvement, though, was never proven. In fact, in its 74-page report, the NCAA said it had no proof that Harbaugh or assistant coaches had knowledge or directed the scheme.

“No matter how much you sit there and say — and it’s a reasonable opinion — ’someone had to know what Connor Stalions is doing. Someone had to know what was going on. How could this be isolated?’ They were never able to prove anyone other than Connor … it wasn’t getting up to the coordinator level or the head coach or anything like that,” ESPN’s Dan Wetzel said on 97.1 The Ticket’s ‘Karsch And Anderson’. “That was a big part of it. Believe me, I get if you’re not a Michigan fan, you don’t want to hear ‘low-level staffer’ or ‘rogue guy’ doing it. But they never were able to prove that, so that limited them.”

As a result, current and former Michigan staff members were punished for the reasons listed above and the university was hit with a fine, but there were no wins vacated or postseason bans implemented.

“The NCAA’s precedent of late is saying, ‘We’re not gonna punish [future] players,’ and I think there’s a fair argument to that, particularly with the transfer portal these days,” Wetzel said. “There’s probably 10 percent of the roster still there. They don’t want to do that. They don’t want to vacate wins because, I guess, it sorta doesn’t really matter, but it kinda matters. I don’t know, they just didn’t want to do it.

So, all they really had was Connor running this thing, a process crime, Denard Robinson didn’t go to the hearing, never responded … OK,” Wetzel continued. “Sherrone Moore deleted the text thread, although that was recovered. Connor threw his phone in a lake, so we’ll never really know all the details, according to this report. But they never really got Michigan on anything more than what Connor Stalions did. It was isolated to that. And because of that, and because of the way the NCAA is now, they just don’t have any teeth where they can hit anybody.”

Wetzel believes Michigan fans have reason to be satisfied with the result.

“I thought Michigan would get enough where they wouldn’t feel too good about it, but if you’re down money, which Michigan never lacks, and just an extra game for Sherrone Moore — a third game, and pushed out until the 2026 season,” he noted. “… If I’m a Wolverine fan, I’m pretty happy with this. I’ll take this deal. Which I didn’t think was going to happen, but still.

“No postseason ban, no vacating of wins. Really no sanctions. Heavy show-causes on Harbaugh — doesn’t matter if you’re a Michigan fan, at this point — Connor Stalions, doesn’t really matter unless you’re Connor Stalions, and Denard Robinson. 

“Basically, Sherrone Moore has to miss the Western Michigan game, and a school that’s got billions of dollars [has to pay] $25 million, maybe more. That’s a victory for Michigan, and probably not at all what many other fans — certainly from Michigan State, Ohio State and other places — would’ve wanted.”

Michigan announced after Wetzel’s radio interview that it will appeal the NCAA’s decision, so there’s a chance the final result is even lighter.