College football is professional football, and the NCAA finally realized it.
The sign-stealing saga that’s hovered over Michigan since 2023 is finally — and mercifully — over. The NCAA’s Committee on Infractions handed down its verdict on Friday, and the headlines are straightforward …
- Another one-game suspension for coach Sherrone Moore — the opener vs. Western Michigan in 2026 — on top of the two games he’ll miss in 2025 — Weeks 3 and 4 — thanks to a school-imposed ban.
- Former coach Jim Harbaugh, now back in the NFL as Chargers coach, received a 10-year show-cause penalty. On paper, that sounds dramatic. In reality? It’s nothing but window dressing. The chances of a 61-year-old Harbaugh returning to college after delivering a national title to his alma mater were about as slim as your 15-leg parlay hitting.
- And speaking of empty gestures, there’s also an eight-year show-cause for Conor Stalions, the sign-stealing mastermind himself. Maybe he can start a consulting firm in the meantime, or write another manifesto. He’s got time!
No vacated wins. No vacated title. No pretending those games didn’t happen.
But, the real punishment hits where it hurts the most in this day and age: the wallet.
Sherrone Moore suspension: Which games Michigan coach will miss as NCAA hands out sign-stealing punishments
Robby Kalland
Michigan has been fined more than $20 million, thanks largely to the loss of postseason revenue over the next two seasons. That’s not a postseason ban; the Wolverines can still make the College Football Playoff or a bowl. They just won’t see a dime from either. Add in a $50,000 fine and a cut of 10% from the football program’s budget, and the financial sting becomes real.
This isn’t a brand-new approach for the NCAA. In recent years, the organization has shifted toward targeting schools and staff directly instead of punishing current players who had nothing to do with past infractions. But, outside of Tennessee’s $8 million fine in 2023, most penalties have been small enough to feel like add-ons rather than the main event.
Not this time.
Stripping more than $20 million from an athletic department changes behavior. In the current era with TV money, NIL deals and bloated coaching salaries, financial hits carry more weight than vacated wins or postseason bans. Those old-school punishments were symbolic. This is tangible.
It’s the first time I can remember feeling genuinely encouraged by an NCAA decision. For decades, the governing body seemed stuck in the past, clinging to outdated ideals. Now, maybe, it’s finally pulled its head out of the sand (or elsewhere) and recognized the truth.
College football is a business, and it has been for a long time. Now, the NCAA seems ready to start treating it like one. No more empty gestures — just empty their wallets.
Read the full article here
