The NCAA likes to take issues away after the actual fact. Simply ask the USC Trojans and Reggie Bush. At the least, the latter had restored his Heisman Trophy honor — simply 14 years after the actual fact however oh, nicely.
That is why some within the school soccer world are questioning if the Michigan Wolverines would possibly see their 2023 nationwide championship and excellent season vacated as a result of Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal.
The NCAA goes to quickly ship Michigan a Discover of Allegations and we all know, primarily based on the draft (which will be edited, thoughts you), that former head coach Jim Harbaugh in addition to a number of different staffers will seemingly be accused of committing Degree 1 violations. The varsity itself can be going through a Degree 1 cost due to a “sample of noncompliance inside the soccer program” and even new head coach Sherrone Moore may face a show-cause penalty and even a suspension for allegedly deleting 52 textual content messages between him and Stalions in October of 2023.
There is a ton of smoke right here, so there may very nicely be a giant fireplace in Ann Arbor, however it’s value noting that school soccer insiders Rece Davis and Pete Thamel, talking on “The Faculty GameDay Podcast”, do not assume both a postseason ban or a vacating of the nationwide title shall be on the road right here for Michigan.
“So the vacating factor I can say with full-throated confidence,” Thamel mentioned (h/t On3). “They take away wins when it entails gamers who aren’t eligible. And there aren’t any gamers implicated in right here immediately by identify or something. Trying again there shall be nothing. Trying ahead, you can say, technically, some kind of postseason ban is on the desk. The precise probability of that occuring [is low] contemplating Tennessee, contemplating the political local weather, contemplating the NCAA has mainly come out and mentioned, ‘We don’t need to punish them.’ So once more, it comes right down to a roomful of individuals … I’d say taking a look at this, it might appear unlikely. What is probably going as Michigan cuts a giant previous verify.”
That is what all of it comes right down to, on the finish of the day. Faculty soccer is a giant enterprise (at all times has been) and cash talks — particularly when it is being taken away.
“That’s what the punishments ought to be, in my judgment,” Davis mentioned. “I’ve mentioned this for years. What drives this enterprise? Cash. What sends the largest message? Taking away cash. So if the NCAA needs to be taken critically persistently as an enforcement physique for faculty sports activities and school soccer, notably, that must be the course by which they go. Superb individuals. They’ll do the present trigger factor.”
It is value noting that Harbaugh, now head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers after 9 seasons in Ann Arbor, denied being complicit in or having any consciousness of the allegations levied towards Michigan whereas he was head coach.
