Michigan suspends analyst at center of alleged sign-stealing scheme

Michigan announced Friday that analyst Connor Stalions had been suspended in the wake of an NCAA investigation into Michigan’s alleged sign-stealing process.

Athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement that Stalions would be suspended with pay until the completion of the investigation. Stalions was identified by multiple Big Ten staff members to Yahoo Sports in a story published Friday.

“We were told to be careful because they had a guy who could pick plays,” a Big Ten coach told Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. “It was too late in the week to change our signals, but another staff did tell us about (Stalions).”

It is not against NCAA rules to decipher and steal an opposing team’s signals. However, it is against NCAA rules to scout teams in person. If the NCAA determines that Michigan’s efforts involved in-person scouting, the school could be sanctioned.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has denied any knowledge of a sign-stealing scheme or in-person scouting of opponents.

The news of the alleged scheme broke days before Michigan takes on in-state rival Michigan State on Saturday. The Big Ten said in a statement that it had informed Michigan State and Michigan’s other future opponents of the investigation.

“The Big Ten Conference considers the integrity of competition to be of utmost importance and will continue to monitor the investigation,” the conference said in a statement on Thursday. “The conference will have no further comment at this time.”

This NCAA investigation also follows Harbaugh's self-imposed three-game suspension at the start of the 2023 season for a separate NCAA investigation into Level II rules violations at the school related to recruiting. A resolution regarding that NCAA investigation is expected sometime after the season.