Michigan avoids the ban on the playoffs but faced with the fine NCAA record on the flight of signs | University football

The NCAA announced on Friday that it had struck the University of Michigan with one of the largest financial penalties in the history of university football for organizing an illegal screening and signaling flight program – ordering the school to give up more than $ 20 million in revenue in the playoffs – but did not prevent Wolverines from participating in the eliminatory series.

The financial blow follows from football payments in the playoffs during the 2025 and 2026 seasons, a figure projected by several sources exceeding $ 20 million and potentially exceed 25 million dollars on the basis of the historic distribution of Big Ten qualifiers and university football. Michigan was also sentenced to a fine of $ 50,000, estimated 10% of its football budget and will lose the financial equivalent of 10% of its football scholarships for 2025-26. Other sanctions include a 25% reduction in official visits for the 2025-26 season, a ban of 14 weeks of communications recruitment and four years of probation.

The controversy dates back to the start of the 2023 season, when reports emerged that the Michigan football program directed a secret flight operation. In American university football, teams often use manual signals to communicate the game games, and although the deciphering of these signals is not contrary to NCAA rules, schools are prohibited from sending representatives to scour future opponents in person or to use electronic equipment to record signals.

According to the NCAA, the former staff member Connor Stalions orchestrated a vast screening program outside the campus during the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons. Using a network of staff, trainees and knowledge, he nicknamed the “KGB”, Stalion bought and transferred game tickets – spending nearly $ 35,000 in 2022 – future adversaries of the stands. The images, which Stalion called “Dirty Film”, was then used to decode thousands of signals, information which he shared with eminent members of coach staff. The evidence included ticket receipts, transfer data and witness testimonies.

The NCAA documented 56 screening instances covering 52 games against 13 future opponents. Stalions also attended at least a game of future opponent itself. Investigators said that the whole scope and advantage have acquired “will never be known” due to the deliberate destruction and the restraint of materials, including stalion admitting that he eliminated his phone – and perhaps a film – in a pond.

The scandal led to multiple failures to cooperate. Stalions, Harbaugh, Moore, then – Director of Players staff, Denard Robinson, destroyed materials or provided false and misleading information. Moore deleted a 52 -message text thread with Stalion the day after the program that has become public, later conceding that it was a reaction to the news. Harbaugh refused to provide files or sit for an interview.

The investigation also revealed unrelated recruitment violations, including unacceptable advantages with four prospects and nearly 100 unacceptable recruitment messages before eligible dates. These violations have been attributed to several former assistants, including Jesse Minter, Steve Clinkscale and Chris Partridge, as well as Robinson.

The NCAA has classified scouting and most of the failures of cooperation as level I violations – its most serious accusations – and recruitment and “non -compliance” as level II. The panel concluded that Michigan’s compliance staff have been postponed, rejected and ignored by the Harbaugh program, creating “a culture of non-compliance”.

Stalions received an eight -year proof order; Harbaugh a bond of 10 years from 2028; Robinson a three -year exhibition case. Moore, now a head coach, received a two-year show crisis and a three-game suspension, with a match that will be served in 2026 after the ban on two Michigan auto-match matches in 2025.

Despite the status of Michigan as a “repeated violer” and level I – aggravated classification of the case – reasons for a multi -year post -season ban – the panel rather chose financial sanctions, affirming that a prohibition would unjustly punish the current actors for the actions of former coaches and staff.

Michigan opens the 2025 season at home against New Mexico on August 30. Moore will purge his suspension after the September 6 match at Oklahoma, lacking matches with the center of Michigan and Nebraska. That he calls the additional game 2026 is not clear.