Jim Harbaugh suspended: Why the Big Ten did it, how Michigan fights back and what the NCAA’s role was
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Mark Schlabach
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Mark Schlabach
ESPN Senior Writer
- Senior college football writer
- Author of seven books on college football
- Graduate of the University of Georgia
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Adam Rittenberg
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Adam Rittenberg
ESPN Senior Writer
- College football reporter.
- Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
- Graduate of Northwestern University.
The Big Ten suspended Michigan‘s Jim Harbaugh from coaching in his football team’s final three regular-season games, starting with Saturday’s showdown at No. 10 Penn State.
Friday’s announcement from Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti came 23 days after the NCAA first notified conference and Michigan officials that it had received credible information that the No. 3 Wolverines had been involved in a sign-stealing scheme, in which analyst Connor Stalions and others scouted future opponents off campus, which has been prohibited by NCAA rules since 1994.
Petitti’s decision was both stunning and swift. Will it hold up? Michigan president Santa Ono said in a statement Friday that the university is seeking a court order to overturn Harbaugh’s suspension.
Here’s what we know about the Michigan investigation so far.
How did the Big Ten arrive at its ruling?
In a 13-page letter sent to Michigan athletics director Warde Manuel on Friday, Petitti wrote that the Big Ten believed Michigan “violated the Sportsmanship Policy because a University football staff member engaged in an organized, extensive, years-long in-person advance scouting scheme that was impermissible.”
“The goal of the scheme was to gain an unfair advantage by stealing the signs of teams that the University’s football team was due to play later in the season,” Petitti said. “Such misconduct inherently compromises the integrity of competition.”
Petitti wrote that even though the league made other Big Ten programs aware of the allegations, “the effect on the opponents of the University’s football team remains ongoing.”
“The integrity of the competition is the backbone of any sports conference or league,” Petitti said. “That is especially true for sports contests between student-athletes. Athletes compete to win. Competition that is only about winning while disregarding the rules of fair play diminishes all of us, including our institutions. The integrity of the competition must be preeminent. Its value is fundamental and far exceeds the value of winning; indeed, it is the very source of any value in winning.”
Because the Big Ten believes Michigan committed violations this season, Petitti wrote that it was appropriate to impose punishment now.
“Enforcing the Sportsmanship Policy with appropriate discipline this season in light of the University’s established violations this season is thus of the utmost importance to protect the reputation of the Conference and its member institutions and to ensure that our competitions on the field are honorable and fair,” Petitti wrote.
What did Harbaugh know about the scheme?
Since the beginning, Harbaugh has denied knowledge of the sign-stealing scheme and said he never instructed staff members to break NCAA rules. Petitti affirmed to Manuel that the league has not yet received any evidence indicating that Harbaugh was aware of the scheme.
“This is not a sanction of Coach Harbaugh,” Petitti wrote. “It is a sanction against the University that, under the extraordinary circumstances presented by this offensive conduct, best fits the violation because: (1) it preserves the ability of the University’s football student-athletes to continue competing; and (2) it recognizes that the Head Coach embodies the University for purposes of its football program.”
In a statement following Stalions’ resignation on Nov. 3, his attorney, Brad Beckworth said, “Connor also wants to make it clear that, to his knowledge, neither Coach Harbaugh, nor any other coach or staff member, told anyone to break any rules or were aware of improper conduct regarding the recent allegations of advanced scouting.”
What evidence did the Big Ten have to reach this ruling?
According to Petitti’s letter, the NCAA provided the Big Ten with a “master spreadsheet” with great detail in how Stalions’ scheme worked. It included:
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A large and detailed chart that included the names of various people assigned to attend past and future football games involving Michigan’s opponents.
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Assignments for individuals to attend past and future games involving highly ranked, non-Big Ten football programs.
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Notes about whether attendance would be necessary at games based on various win/loss scenarios.
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The 2023 schedules of Michigan’s football opponents.
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Color coding to reflect past games attended by individuals and future games in which scouting would be needed.
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The names of people assigned to cities and certain areas of the country.
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Monetary costs for scouting some games.
Additionally, Pettiti said there was a separate worksheet within the master spreadsheet that showed “narrative translations of signs and signals that corresponded to specific team formations and plays.”
Between Oct. 20 and Nov. 4, according to Petitti, the conference received additional documentation from other Big Ten members that showed Stalions purchasing tickets to games involving Michigan’s opponents. According to the league, it has evidence that he purchased tickets to at least four games in 2021, 13 in 2022 and five during the first seven weeks of this season. “The tickets were strategically located near midfield, facing the future opponents’ sidelines,” the letter said.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey informed the Big Ten that Stalions had purchased tickets to the SEC championship game in Atlanta.
The Big Ten also reviewed photos and videos that it says shows the staff member standing on the sideline adjacent to other Michigan coaches.
On Oct. 2, 2021, during a game against Wisconsin, Stalions was “standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the University’s then-defensive coordinator.” In a game at Ohio State on Nov. 26, 2022, Stalions watched the opponent sideline and then gestured to the Michigan defense “in reaction to the signals being provided to the opposing offense.” In a CFP semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl last season (in which the Wolverines lost to TCU, 51-45), Stalions was standing next to Michigan’s defensive coordinator and “talking to him while intently watching what was happening on the field and/or the TCU sideline.” Among evidence the Big Ten collected from the NCAA were other corroborating documents, photos, videos and “significant interview recordings,” all of which, according to the Big Ten, “confirm the existence of the impermissible scheme.”
Is the Big Ten’s action unprecedented?
The Big Ten has imposed discipline under its sportsmanship policy, including suspensions for both coaches and players.
In February 2022, the Big Ten suspended Michigan men’s basketball coach Juwan Howard for five games — the remainder of his team’s regular season — and fined him $40,000, for hitting Wisconsin assistant Joe Krabbenhoft in the face during a fracas in a game. The league also fined Badgers coach Greg Gard $10,000. Both penalties fell under the Big Ten’s sportsmanship policy.
What makes Friday’s discipline stand out is that the Big Ten chose to act amid an ongoing NCAA investigation for potential NCAA violations. The Big Ten’s Oct. 19 statement suggested it would let the NCAA’s drawn-out process unfold, saying the league “will continue to monitor the investigation.” Only after additional information emerged, as noted in the Big Ten’s letter to Manuel on Friday, did the league truly engage in the possibility of disciplining Michigan under its sportsmanship policy.
What does Michigan do now?
In a statement, Ono said the school will seek to obtain a court order to block the Big Ten’s three-game suspension of Harbaugh. Ono wrote that the university was entitled to a “fair, deliberate, and thoughtful process” to determine the facts before judgment is reached.
“Today’s action by Commissioner Tony Petitti disregards the Conference’s own handbook, violates basic tenets of due process, and sets an untenable precedent of assessing penalties before an investigation has been completed,” Ono wrote. “We are dismayed at the Commissioner’s rush to judgment when there is an ongoing NCAA investigation – one in which we are fully cooperating.”
Ono also took issue with Petitti’s decision to impose discipline on Veterans Day, when state and federal courts are closed in honor of the national holiday. Ono accused the Big Ten of trying to “thwart the University from seeking immediate judicial relief” and said it’s “hardly a profile in impartiality.”
“Commissioner Petitti’s hasty action today suggests that this is more about reacting to pressure from other Conference members than a desire to apply the rules fairly and impartially,” Ono wrote. “By taking this action at this hour, the Commissioner is personally inserting himself onto the sidelines and altering the level playing field that he is claiming to preserve.”
Most courts have judges on call during holidays and the weekends for pressing matters. Legal experts told ESPN this week that Michigan officials would likely seek an ex parte ruling on a temporary restraining order, meaning the judge could make a ruling after hearing Harbaugh’s argument without a rebuttal from the Big Ten.
Sources told ESPN that Michigan would probably seek to get in front of a judge in a state court, rather than a federal one in Detroit.
An attorney who has been involved in NCAA infractions-related cases for decades told ESPN that he would be surprised if Michigan found a judge that was willing to intercede in the matter.
“Most judges are going to be reluctant to wade into affairs of a voluntary association, unless the plaintiff can show that the association is clearly not following its own rules or acting arbitrarily or capriciously,” the attorney said.
What’s the latest with the NCAA investigation?
The NCAA has yet to send Michigan a Notice of Allegations, but Petitti’s letter showed that the NCAA is making headway. Petitti noted how NCAA president Charlie Baker has been directly involved with communicating information about the investigation, starting Oct. 18 when he set up a call with Petitti and Big Ten and Michigan staff members. Baker clearly understood the urgency of the alleged violations.
In a Nov. 2 call with both the Big Ten and Michigan, Baker and the NCAA staff outlined they “knew and could prove” the extensive signal-stealing operation conducted by Stalions.
“It is rare and outside the NCAA’s typical protocols for the NCAA to disclose information about an active investigation to institutions other than the institution under investigation,” Petitti wrote. “However, the NCAA stated and believed that the disclosure was necessary due to the unprecedented scope of the then-alleged scheme, and because of the significant impact the impermissible scheme could have on competition during the current football season. It was also extraordinary that the NCAA President arranged for and participated in the call, underscoring not only the severity of the allegations but the immediate impacts.”
Petitti added that while the NCAA’s investigation is ongoing to determine who else knew of or was involved in the signal-stealing operation, the association had an “uncontroverted” belief that the scheme had occurred. Still, the NCAA’s process for completing its investigation and enforcing infractions likely will go well into 2024, if not beyond.
“The NCAA takes competition integrity seriously and when the Association has reason to raise time sensitive issues with schools and leagues concerning competitive integrity it has and will continue to do so,” the NCAA said in a statement. “The NCAA received consent from the school before sharing the information referenced in the document. NCAA investigative and infractions processes will continue in this matter.”
Would a season-long suspension apply to the CFP or just Big Ten games?
The Big Ten specified that Harbaugh’s suspension would apply only to the regular season. If Michigan qualifies for the Big Ten championship game, he would be allowed to coach in Indianapolis. Harbaugh also would be eligible to coach Michigan in College Football Playoff games or other bowl games.
The first day of the 2025 MLB draft is complete! The Washington Nationals selected Eli Willits with the No. 1 pick, opting for the prep shortstop — who might be more likely to sign below slot — in a draft with no clear-cut top prospect. And there were plenty of other intriguing selections as the first three rounds unfolded Sunday night.
The Seattle Mariners had to have been thrilled to have Kiley McDaniel’s No. 1-ranked prospect, Kade Anderson, fall to them at No. 3, and Ethan Holliday was selected at No. 4 by his famous father’s former squad the Colorado Rockies.
We asked ESPN baseball insiders Alden Gonzalez, Jesse Rogers and David Schoenfield to break down their favorite and most head-scratching moves of the draft’s first night, as well as to predict which players will bring the most to their new teams in the long term.
A lot of us were thrown for a loop by the first two selections. What do you make of the Nationals taking Ethan Willits at No. 1 and the Angels picking Tyler Bremner at No. 2?
Gonzalez: I was stunned on both accounts. Though there was definitely some uncertainty around the Nationals’ approach, especially since the firing of GM Mike Rizzo, I didn’t see anybody, anywhere, projecting Willits to be their choice at No. 1 overall. But the Angels drafting Bremner was an even bigger risk. Kiley had him 18th in his latest ranking. Six pitchers were ranked ahead of him. But Bremner might be someone who can rise and impact their major league roster quickly, and the Angels are always looking for that.
Rogers: The first two picks really summed up the uncertainty of the entire draft. The Nationals’ faith in a 17-year-old will be tested over the coming years, but the pick will likely save them some money for later in this draft and give Willits time to grow. The same can be said of many of the top picks: They’re going to need time. There are far fewer sure things this year — though Bremner could be the exception. The Angles love to graduate their players quickly, and as a college arm, he could see the majors sooner rather than later. Like Willits, this could also be a cost-saving move for later spending.
Schoenfield: In a draft that not only lacked a sure-thing No. 1 overall pick but was viewed as weaker at the top than those of recent years, it’s perhaps not a huge surprise that the Nationals and Angels used their picks to strike likely underslot deals with Willits and Bremner, giving them money to spend later in the draft — which they can use on high school prospects who might have slipped, trying to buy them out from going to college. It’s a strategy teams have used with success over the years, so the drafts for the Nationals and Angels will have to be viewed in their totality and not just focused on these two players.
What was your favorite pick of the night — and which one had you scratching your head?
Gonzalez: The Rockies have done a lot of things wrong over these last few … uh, decades. But it was really cool to see them take Ethan Holliday at No. 4 after his father, Matt, starred in Colorado for so long. Outside of the top two picks, Ethan Conrad going 17th to the Cubs was my biggest surprise of the night. Kiley had him ranked 30th; others had him falling out of the first round entirely. There’s uncertainty coming off shoulder surgery. But Conrad, 21, put up a 1.238 OPS in 97 plate appearances before his season ended prematurely in March. And the dearth of college bats probably influenced a slight reach here.
Rogers: I’m loving Billy Carlson to the White Sox at No. 10. Though they lost 121 games last season, Chicago couldn’t pick higher than this spot per CBA rules — but the Sox might have gotten a top-five player. Carlson’s defense will play extremely well behind a sneaky good and young pitching staff that should keep the ball on the ground in the long term. Meanwhile, with the pick of the litter when it came to hitters — college outfielders and high school kids as well — the Pirates took a high school pitcher at No. 6. Seth Hernandez could be great, but they need hitting. A lot of it.
Schoenfield: The Mariners reportedly wanted LSU left-hander Kade Anderson all along, but they certainly couldn’t have been expecting to get him with the third pick. (Keep in mind that the Mariners were lucky in the first place to land the third pick in the lottery, so they added some good fortune on top of good luck.) They get the most polished college pitcher in the draft, one who should move quickly — and perhaps make it a little easier for Jerry Dipoto to dip into his farm system and upgrade the big league roster at the trade deadline. Even though I understand why the Angels did it, Bremner still seems a little questionable. With the second pick, you want to go for a home run, and the consensus is that Holliday or even Anderson is more likely to be a more impactful major leaguer. Bremner’s lack of a third plus pitch is an issue, and you have to wonder if the Angels are relying too much on his control — which, yes, should allow him to get to the majors — and ignoring the possible lack of upside.
Who is the one player you’d like to plant your flag on as the biggest steal of this draft?
Gonzalez: Seth Hernandez, who went sixth to the Pirates and should someday share a rotation with Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. High school pitchers are incredibly risky, especially when taken so early in the draft. But Hernandez is a great athlete who already throws hard, boasts a plus changeup and showed improvement with his breaking ball this spring. He’ll go the Hunter Greene route, from standout high school pitcher to major league ace.
Rogers: Jamie Arnold will look like a steal at No. 11, especially when he debuts in the majors well before many of the players taken around him. I’m not worried about the innings drop in 2025 — not when he was striking out 119 hitters and walking just 27. The A’s need to polish him up but will be pleased by how consistent he’ll be. You can’t go wrong with a college lefty from an ACC school — at least, the A’s didn’t.
Schoenfield: I’m going with Billy Carlson with the 10th pick — with the admitted caveat that the White Sox haven’t exactly been stellar at developing hitters. But Carlson looks like an elite defensive shortstop with plus power, and that alone can make him a valuable major leaguer. If the hit tool comes along, we’re looking at a potential star. OK, he’s Bobby Witt Jr. lite? That’s still an All-Star player.
What’s your biggest takeaway from Day 1 of this draft?
Gonzalez: The Nationals throwing a wrench into the proceedings by selecting Willits. It was a surprising choice, but in their minds an easy one. Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo called Willits the best hitter and best fielder available. And in a draft devoid of can’t-miss, high-impact talent, Willits is no doubt a solid pick — a polished hitter who should stick at shortstop and might consistently hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases at a premium position. He also might come under slot, allowing flexibility later in the draft. But his selection is what allowed Anderson to reach the Mariners at No. 3 and prompted the Rockies to draft Holliday at No. 4, among other dominoes. It set a really interesting tone.
Rogers: Things change quickly in baseball. Whereas college hitters are usually the safest bets early in the draft, this year high school position players dominated. (And they all play shortstop, at least for now.) Athleticism has returned to baseball, and draft rooms are acting accordingly.
Schoenfield: I’m agreeing with Jesse. The selection of that many prep shortstops stood out — and they all seem to hit left-handed and run well, and some of them have big power potential and a cannon for an arm. Look, the hit tool is the most important and the hardest to scout and project, so not all these kids are going to make it, but their potential is exciting and, to Jesse’s point, their wide range of tools is showing that baseball is still drawing top athletes to the sport.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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