Posted on 11/02/2023 7:20:36 AM PDT by FLNittany
A vast majority of the Big Ten coaches expressed their frustrations with the ongoing signal-stealing investigation at Michigan in a video call with commissioner Tony Petitti on Wednesday, sources told ESPN.
The call, which took 90 minutes, included nearly an hour without Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who hung up after the regularly scheduled Big Ten business to allow the conference's coaches to speak freely about the NCAA's investigation into Michigan.
According to five sources familiar with the call, a chorus of voices encouraged Petitti to take action against Michigan in a call that was described as both intense and emotional.
"Collectively, the coaches want the Big Ten to act -- right now," said a source familiar with the call. "What are we waiting on? We know what happened." Editor's Picks
CMU probes Stalions' potential sideline presence 1dAdam Rittenberg and Pete Thamel Harbaugh denies U-M rescinded extension offer 3dDan Murphy Michigan sign-stealing allegations: Latest on investigation, punishments and more 7dESPN
The NCAA has been investigating Michigan for nearly two weeks, as the Big Ten confirmed the NCAA's sign-stealing investigation on Oct. 19. Since that time, ESPN has reported that Michigan staffer Connor Stalions emerged as a centerpiece of the investigation and has purchased tickets to the games of 12 of 13 Big Ten opponents over the last three years.
Overall, Stalions has purchased tickets to more than 35 games in at least 17 stadiums over the last three years, ESPN reported. Michigan suspended Stalions the same day ESPN reported he was the center of the investigation. A former Division III coach also told ESPN he was paid by Stalions to video games at multiple Big Ten schools.
The coaches in the Big Ten laid out to Petitti, who was hired in April, just how distinct of a schematic advantage Michigan has held the last three years by illegally obtaining the opposition's signals ahead of time, as has been alleged.
Coaches used words like "tainted," "fraudulent" and "unprecedented" on the call to describe Michigan's signal-stealing scheme, as has been alleged. Much of the call, according to sources, was coaches explaining to Petitti both how it worked and how it impacted them and their programs. Both in-person opponent scouting and using electronic equipment to steal signals are not allowed by NCAA rules.
In the three years that Stalions left a paper trail of purchasing tickets to games of Michigan opponents, the Wolverines have gone 33-3 overall and 22-1 in Big Ten play. In the prior three years, they were 21-11 overall and 16-8 in league play.
"People don't understand the seriousness of it," said another source. "How it truly impacted the game plan. To truly know if it's a run or a pass, people don't understand how much of an advantage that was for Michigan."
There was anger interspersed throughout the call, as one source described the sentiment as: "Every game they played is tainted."
The coaches acknowledged the reality on the call that the NCAA enforcement timeline won't impact Michigan this season, as the Wolverines are 8-0 and No. 3 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. And that's one reason the Big Ten coaches called on action from the Big Ten.
Sources described Petitti as listening carefully to the coaches, but not tipping his hand in what direction he may go. Sources expressed curiosity as to whether the Big Ten is truly interested in taking action or just listening to coaches so they can be heard.
The Big Ten technically has authority under its Sportsmanship Policy to punish Michigan or members of the coaching staff.
That's been considered unlikely in this case in the near future, as it's unusual to have an NCAA case unfolding in real time. While plenty of evidence has emerged in media reports, the league would likely be unable to use those as a fact set to make a decision.
The league could also initiate its own investigation into potential violations of the Big Ten's sportsmanship policy. While Petitti has authority to dictate discipline, if it's beyond a standard level it must be looked at by an executive committee that could approve, deny or lessen that discipline.
League officials did not respond to request for comment late Wednesday.
"I don't think the Big Ten understood how upset everyone was," said another source. "The tenor of the call was asking the Big Ten to show leadership -- the conference and the presidents. An unprecedented violation of the rules would require unprecedented action from the Big Ten."
Any team that lowered itself to un-tying an opposing players shoes in a pile up will do anything to win.
A failure to punish Michigan right now this season while they are continuing to benefit directly from their espionage would be allowing them pocket their ill-gotten gains.
...
Sorry, I missed the completion of the investigation. Did the NCAA find irrefutable proof of what Michigan has allegedly done? Perhaps Jim should be hung in downtown Ann Arbor for what the press (ESPN) has uncovered.
If I know you’re going to run the ball, I bring up my safeties and linebackers to stuff the run. If I know you’re going to pass the ball, I drop them all back into coverage.
...
Ever hear of audibles? If the QB sees 8 - 9 guys in the box, he changes the play.
One of my favorite College Football stories.
How Oklahoma used a fake script to trick Texas in the 1999 Red River Rivalry | College GameDay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUy1wFhIvWs
Miss you, Pirate!
Yes, most schools could easily implement electronics to signal in the plays.
Until you change the rules, which totally prohibit this kind of thing, it’s still wrong and Harbaugh should pay the price.
Just because you think the rules are stupid, doesn’t mean you can violate them when the rules still exist.
The NCAA should have gotten rid of the rule against electronics decades ago. This is on them. They made this stupid situation. They made the stupid rule.
I don’t think the rules are stupid. They ARE stupid. Outlawing scouting IS stupid.
True, but the rules are the rules and everyone went by them except Michigan, which is why they should be punished, everyone but Michigan fans understands this.
Everyone does not go by them. That’s part of what came out when this story first broke. I’m not a Michigan fan. I just hate stupid rules. And this is 2 stupid rules.
There was a hotel near Giants Stadium where some rooms on the top floor provided a great view of the field. The Giants would rent them for the days they were on the field practicing before games so nobody else could.
We wouldn’t have any crime if everyone went by the rules, but we do, so people go to prison all the time for violating the rules.
Jim Harbaugh blatantly violated the rules, he should pay a price, what that is I don’t know, but he’s not innocent and neither is the University of Michigan.
The defense doesn’t have to move at all pre-snap. Why would they? They know the play and want to see the opponent run it.
At the snap, however - the back 7 can converge to the ball.
I’m an Alabama fan with no care about the Big other than seeing Sandusky State lose.
Harbaugh had honored Obama and Hillary, but then wandered off the liberal res a couple of times. That merits destruction. Without this distraction Ohio State wouldn’t beat them this year.
When I played senior league I played 3rd base and catcher and I would steal signs and tell the rest of the team what was coming. I was playing third base once, with a runner on first and the other teams coach was in the 3rd base box doing his signs, which were pathetic and I yelled steal and bunt and charged in for the bunt and the batter bunted the ball foul and sure enough the runner took off from first.
The coach was furious and yelled at me how did you know that and I said your signs are easy to figure out. You can’t do that he yelled and I said can too, the home plate ump stepped in and said to the coach, you best change your signs.
Both sides do it and if you suck at disguising your signs, that’s on you.
From athlon sports:
According to a recent report from ESPN, Big Ten coaches urged league commissioner Tony Petitti to punish Michigan for its alleged sign-stealing scandal during a conference call on Wednesday.
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, who was on yesterday’s call, provided an inside look into the discussion during an interview with On3 Sports’ Andy Staples on Thursday.
“I think it was a chance just for everybody to talk about how they felt, how they were impacted. Obviously Tony Petitti, who I think is a wonderful commissioners — I’ll keep all the comments in house but I think a lot of peoples lives, livelihoods, jobs, their seasons, players, players health, all kinds of things have been impacted by this. And so it was an opportunity for all of us for the first time just to kind of see what’s going and talk about it like we talk about everything, really, as coaches. I think the Big Ten does a great job of having regular coaches calls. This one was just specific to that incident,” Rhule said.
Rhule wouldn’t outright condemn the Michigan program, but he did admit he feels “really bad for the players on both sides.”
“I think you sit there and just feel really bad for the players on both sides, because this is really our last chance to teach young people how to go out there and compete and overcome adversity and go through ups and down and highs and lows,” Rhule said. “And you just hope when you do this that no side ever has an advantage over the other that’s not gained and earned appropriately.”
“I can’t comment on the specifics of this [Michigan case], because I don’t know,” he continued.
Rhule said he would be “heartbroken” if his team was ever “shorted” by illegal sign stealing.
“As we tell parents, ‘We’re going to teach them how to be young men.’ I think the first thing we teach them is integrity and honesty. But if I ever feel like my guys have been shorted, obviously I’m here to fight for them,” he continued. “That would certainly be heartbreaking and disappointing to me, as someone who loves college football. It’s one thing when it’s recruiting, but when we mess with the 60 minutes of the game, that’s really, really, really impacted.”
But how many of the rules are dumb. Remember there is the concept of jury nullification. Juries have the ability to say “this is against the law?! That’s ridiculous.” And I think the sports league should take opportunities like this to review their own rules. My partly in jest suggestion is that they all employ a panel of comedians, present the rule to them, if they can come up with 5 good minutes making fun of what a dumb rule it is, quietly tell the team to stop breaking it so as to not draw attention to it, and change the freaking rule at the earliest convenience.
It’s an idiot rule, made more idiotic by the fact that NFL got embarrassed by their similarly bad rule over a decade ago. The NCAA really should have looked at spygate and looked to their own rules to see if they had anything similarly dumb, and fixed it. Now they might be stuck enforcing it. And then changing it later the same way the NFL did. Everybody would be better served if they’d have fixed it back then.
IMO it’s not a terrible rule, going to electronic headsets would eliminate the issue except for the schools already losing money on football
What’s so hard to understand about everyone living by the rules and not cheating, make the argument at the rules committee meetings in the meantime live by the same rules 99.9% of everyone else does
What’s so hard about following the rules?
L
I don’t know. How do um coaches sleep at night knowing what they’ve done for the past 2+ seasons.
How much fun is chess if someone keeps telling you your opponent’s next move? Is anything really proven if you win under those circumstances?
It is a terrible rule. As I said before, if you have to outlaw SCOUTING one of the most basic parts of all of sports you’re on the wrong path.
Radio helmets are not significantly more expensive that regular helmets. You’ve got a $600 helmet and a $100 radio (that’s retail through Google, I’m sure nobody in the NCAA is paying retail). If they went with something similar to the NFL where you only need 5 or 6 “green dot” helmets that’s basically the cost of 1 more helmet. That’s not breaking anybody’s bank. Of course they SHOULD open it wide (so should the NFL) and put radios in every helmet, let the whole team hear the call from the sideline. MLB did that, so now the 2nd baseman doesn’t have to signal the other infielders the pitch. And honestly if a team can’t afford it, the NCAA should write them a check. The NCAA makes plenty of money.
Because the rule is DUMB. And it’s not getting 99.9% following it. Again when the story first broke there was a parade of guys formerly with the college game coming out and saying they broke it. Just like with spygate. Just like with deflategate. One of the truisms of stupid rules is that lots of people break them. Rules people don’t respect spawn a scofflaw attitude. Which is why sports should be using these kind of situations in other sports to review and fix their own house. The NCAA knew after spygate that if this rule ever got enforced it would be embarrassing for them. And they didn’t fix it.
Funny ain’t
Urban Meyer is another people like to hate. The man Wins. Period.
I like them both.
Cheating. Again. LOL!
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