Michigan football parts with suspended Connor Stalions amid sign-stealing allegations

Connor Stalions is no longer a Michigan football staffer, according to a statement by the school on Friday night, amid allegations of a scouting and sign-stealing scheme.

"Connor Stalions resigned his position with Michigan Athletics this afternoon," the school's statement reads. "We are unable to comment further regarding this personnel matter."

Stalions reportedly refused to cooperate with any internal or external investigations or discussions. He was suspended with pay by Michigan on Oct. 20 after the NCAA launched an investigation into his alleged ticket purchases at several Big Ten stadiums ahead of those teams' games against the Wolverines over the past three seasons.

Stalions is a retired captain from the U.S. Marine Corps and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He was hired as an off-field analyst for Michigan in May 2022.

The Wolverines, with Stalions at the center of the scheme, were allegedly stealing opposing team's signs, violating NCAA rules that prohibit in-person, on-campus scouting and the audio or video recording of signals.

REQUIRED READING: Michigan football losing the perception battle as fury over sign-stealing scandal mounts

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh denied having knowledge of the alleged actions last month.

"I want to make it clear that I, and my staff, will fully cooperate with the investigation into this matter," Harbaugh said in a statement. "I do not have any knowledge or information regarding the University of Michigan football program illegally stealing signals, nor have I directed staff members or others to participate in an off-campus scouting assignment. I have no awareness of anyone on our staff having done that or having directed that action.

Coaches across the college football world have begun to speak up on the matter as the NCAA investigation continues. Purdue coach Ryan Walters, whose Boilermakers face the Wolverines on Saturday night in Ann Arbor, said that he believes the sign-stealing was taking place and cited the ticket purchases as evidence.

REQUIRED READING: Michigan football predictions vs. Purdue: Primetime audience getting another blowout?

"They aren't allegations. It happened," Walters said in an appearance on his radio show in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Thursday night. "There's video evidence. There's ticket purchases you can track back. We know for a fact they were at a number of our games."

Other Big Ten coaches and athletic directors have reportedly attempted to pressure first-year Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettitti into taking action against the Wolverines before the Big Ten takes actions. That includes Michigan State AD Alan Haller, who argued that the Big Ten's relatively quick punishments following the fight between the Spartans and Wolverines in the Michigan Stadium tunnel on Oct. 30, 2022, set a precedent for the conference acting ahead of NCAA discipline.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Connor Stalions out at Michigan football amid sign-stealing scandal