Michigan Sign-Stealing Scandal Extends as Big Ten Program Levels New Charges
The University of Michigan football team is currently mired in a sign-stealing scandal that, based on evidence so far, appears to be set to knock the program to its knees. However, recent allegations of espionage staged by ball boys on the sidelines suggest that it may have participated in more heinous behavior than previously thought.
Under Jim Harbaugh’s leadership, the Michigan Wolverines have evolved into one of the most powerful college football teams in the country. The team appeared to have all the makings of a national title contender entering the current season, and it has more than lived up to expectations with dominant victory over every opponent it has faced while remaining undefeated.
Everything it’s accomplished in recent years, however, has been tainted by the explosive development earlier this month in which Michigan staffer Connor Stalions was accused of repeatedly and routinely attending games at other schools to steal the signals teams scheduled to face the Wolverines use to relay play calls.
Michigan is far from the first team to attempt to use such information to its advantage, but the shamelessly obvious strategy it allegedly employed to gain an advantage is the textbook definition of “a bad look,” and one that will almost certainly result in the NCAA imposing severe sanctions pending the outcome of its official investigation into the matter.
According to Sports Illustrated, that may not have been the only way Michigan tried to improperly gain an edge, as the outlet says an unnamed Big Ten program was told to keep an eye out for ball boys relaying plays to the home team’s sideline:
Before playing Michigan, a coach from another school called to warn them about Wolverines ball boys on their sideline listening to play calls and communicating information to the Michigan sideline—holding the football up in one hand to indicate an expected pass, and in the other hand to indicate a run.
It’s worth mentioning that the squad stated it didn’t notice any tendencies that raised red flags when they played in Ann Arbor.
According to an article published earlier this year by ESPN, the Wolverines are far from the first program to raise eyebrows due to the behavior of their ball boys, and while that’s essentially child’s play in comparison to the allegations surrounding the Stalions, it’s not helping Michigan’s case.
