The Big Ten Conference has levied punishment against the football program at the University of Michigan.
According to a statement by the conference Friday afternoon, Michigan had been found in violation of the Big Ten's Sportsmanship Policy by having a football program staffer attend games played by Michigan's future opponents, and gather information on signs used in play-calling.
Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, as head of the program, will serve a suspension for the remaining three games of the regular season. He will not be permitted at the stadium on game days, though he may run in-person team practices, take charge of team meetings, and attend off-campus football functions.
"The Big Ten Conference expects all contests involving a member institution to be conducted without compromise to any fundamental element of sportsmanship," read the conference agreement. "Such fundamental elements include integrity of the competition, civility toward all, and respect, particularly toward opponents and officials."
The suspension, which is institutional and not solely against Harbaugh per se, comes the day before Michigan travels to Penn State for a key conference game. The regular season also features a game at Maryland and the traditional rivalry clash with Ohio State in Ann Arbor.
The investigation began last month after it was revealed that Connor Stalions, a low-level analyst in the Michigan football program, purchased tickets to multiple games played by the Wolverines' opponents and future opponents. Once at each game, he allegedly gathered information on the teams' signs. In one instance, he was reportedly on the Central Michigan sideline in their season opener against Michigan State in East Lansing, disguised as one of their staffers.
Stalions was suspended by the university on October 20, and he eventually resigned, having refused to cooperate with investigators, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Sign-stealing itself is not prohibited under NCAA regulations, but using football staffers to scout teams in person or through electronic methods is not permitted.
Harbaugh has publicly denied overseeing any scheme to steal signs, and there is no evidence suggesting that he did so. However, Harbaugh was suspended due to his oversight of the football program.
The coach already served a self-imposed three-game suspension at the start of this season on an unrelated matter. Various assistant coaches handled interim coaching duties during those games.
The university has vowed to appeal any punishment given by the Big Ten, and on Friday afternoon, stated it will seek a legal remedy to keep Harbaugh on the sidelines.
"Today's action by [Big Ten] 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," read a statement issued by U of M. "We are dismayed at the Commissioner's rush to judgment when there is an ongoing NCAA investigation, one in which we are fully cooperating."
The statement also accused the conference of announcing the suspension on a Friday afternoon, a court holiday for the U.S. Veteran's Day, thus hampering the university's ability to respond properly.
Michigan had submitted a strongly worded response after the conference gave the school notice about a potential violation. University of Michigan President Santa Ono urged the Big Ten not to punish Harbaugh until "due process" had been completed. The response was reportedly submitted with evidence suggesting that other teams had also engaged in in-person scouting and shared that information with other potential Michigan opponents.
Michigan football is currently ranked third in the country under the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, with a perfect 9-0 record going into Saturday's Penn State game.