An outside investigative firm triggered the NCAA’s investigation into sign-stealing allegations against the University of Michigan, according to a new report on Wednesday, and the depths of the operation could extend well beyond just the low-level football staffer who has been the face of the scandal since Friday.
Michigan football analyst Connor Stalions has been at the center of the NCAA probe, but evidence presented to the NCAA last week indicates that there could be others involved, according to The Washington Post.
In evidence presented to the NCAA, the unnamed investigative firm found evidence that it had obtained from computer drives that had been accessible by multiple Michigan coaches.
The firm did not present evidence directly linking head coach Jim Harbaugh to the sign-stealing operation.
He had denied any knowledge or involvement in any sign-stealing scheme in a statement last week.
Nevertheless, what was presented was a detailed schedule for Michigan’s sign-stealing operation that included travel for the rest of the season, opponents schedules, games that Michigan scouts would attend and costs for travel and tickets to games they were planning on scouting.
The expected total cost for Michigan’s sign-stealing operations was over $15,000 for this season with plans to send scouts to more than 40 games played by 10 opponents, The Washington Post reported.
Chief among the teams that Michigan planned on scouting had been Big Ten rival Ohio State, which they had budgeted for scouts to attend as many as eight games at a cost exceeding $3,000 for travel and tickets.
It’s unknown who hired the investigative firm, but its investigation had begun this season and they presented their evidence to the NCAA on Oct. 17.
A day later the NCAA notified the Big Ten and Michigan that it was launching an investigation.
Among other evidence presented to the NCAA by the investigative firm were photos of people they believed were scouts at games who were presumably recording the sidelines with smartphones.
Later, those cellphone videos were uploaded to a computer drive that was “maintained and accessed” by Stalions and several other Michigan assistants and coaches, investigators told NCAA officials.
Michigan has said that it would fully cooperate with the NCAA probe, but it’s unclear how long it would take.
That has upset many around the Big Ten and college football as schools around the conference and beyond have found ticket data indicating that Stalions had purchased tickets at their schools.
ESPN found that 12 of the 13 schools in the Big Ten had records of Stalions, who allegedly purchased the tickets with his own credit card and helped oversee the operation, purchasing tickets for their games.
NCAA officials were also presented with video evidence — that is at least an hour in length — showing a person in the stands at a game appearing to record the home sideline with a phone.
Details have trickled out since news of the investigation became public and Stalions was identified by ESPN on Friday.
He was subsequently suspended with pay later in the day.
The depths and sophistication of the operation have continued to raise questions that the NCAA will undoubtedly be trying to find answers to.
Michigan is expected to compete for a national championship this season and has started off the year 8-0, which included a 49-0 thrashing of Michigan State last weekend.
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