On the surface it seems like an odd decision.  But thinking about it more, it occurs to me that the AD may have worked out an agreement here with the NCAA to give them an out after their ill-advised public statement rejecting the 4 game suspension.  Instead of a protracted fight with Michigan and Harbaugh's lawyer, they can now quietly back away from the case, while still "getting" Harbaugh some penalty. Yeah, it may be a crazy theory, but it's been a pretty absurd case from the beginning.  

Looking forward to the "Not a Cheeseburger" menu item next time I hit up The Brown Jug.

Seems far too long. The upside for Harbaugh, three fewer running to the tunnel halftime interviews to deal with.

Mich: Would you take 4 games?

NCAA: No! 

Mich: Okay, we'll make it 3.

Reports: U Mich football to showcase “replacement coaches” during nonconference schedule to shore up recruiting when Harbaugh interviews with NFL teams this offseason. 

This is what’s happening.  Why do they need to call it something different?

It seems to me this is the Athletic Department trying get Harbaugh to think this is over, so no need to jump to the NFL. I don't expect it will work. The NCAA isn't going to buy this; Harbaugh was happy to tell the NCAA to eff off. 

I fully expect him to play out this season with the best team of his college career (yes, I'm including that Stanford team). Then say his work is done, and jump to the NFL a la Pete Carroll. I'm at peace with this. With the players who won't be on the team for the 2024 season, he won't be able to top this season in the near future. Fine, go get that Superbowl. You've accomplished every reasonable expectation from when you were hired. (No, I don't consider a National Championship to be a reasonable expectation. Celebrate when you get one, but don't expect it.)

Great move by the University of Michigan I bet you Jim was in on it too now the NCAA really can't do anything about it and if they do it's going to look really really bad for them to do anything plus we don't need them for the first three games

Wouldn’t a fine of the cost of a cheeseburger be enough??

Chances are this deal was negotiated as a mutually acceptable exit plan for both the school and NCAA in resolving the infractions case against Michigan and its coaching staff. It certainly doesn't address sanctions that were rumored against other staff members.

I can see why Michigan might want to proceed down this road to avoid future consequences that would impact Harbaugh's contract status going forward and coaching availability for a more comprehensively competitive schedule next season, whatever that winds up looking like. 

The question is, is this the legal end to this administrative dilemma? Or does it merely salve NCAA enforcement team's sore ass before it responds with a grander vitriolic request for its pound of flesh or chopped meat as the story goes? 

The strategy seems contingent on the NCAA accepting it on its face. I bet all of my mgopoints the NCAA decides to slap additional punishment on Michigan for the 2024 season anyway because of some hogwash like 'We feel the self-imposed punishments do not meet the severity required for the infractions committed'. 

Search your feelings, you know it to be true

UN FUCKING BELIEVABLE

I think I endorse this move, for reasons stated in the OP. Neuter the NCAA, clear the decks for this season, and do it all at little risk.

Cannot disagree with this move more than I do.

What the fucking fuck?

Can we just fire Manuel now?  This is outrageous!  For a few level 2 voilations when UTenn commits 18 Level One's and gets nothing.

Fuck you, Warde...

To me, whether or not this is a good idea depends entirely on whether Harbaugh had a role in making this decision.  If he was part of the decision-making process and thought it would be a pragmatic way of avoiding something worse in the future, then great.  If the university didn't have his back and imposed this on him, then screw Warde.  

"Thank you Sir,may I have another?"

I would feel differently if the NCAA universally enforced the same level of adherence.

Given that they completely FAIL to do that, with some schools doing 1000 times worse stuff and getting no penalty, my opinion is "FU, NCAA."

Get the damn contract done already. 

i'm actually in awe at how stupid all of this is

Is this a sign that CFB is dying slowly?

Imagine being the only school in the country that still takes the NCAA seriously.

Every president, AD and coach in the SEC is currently reclining on a pile of fat sacks of cash, smoking a big cigar and laughing themselves silly.  Hell, they're probably doing that at Rutgers.

I may be in the minority as far as opinion, but this is such a capitulation to bullshit that just reinforces the stereotypes about the athletic department. No one should be surprised when Jim is in the NFL next year. Even supposing Jim did mislead the NCAA in some way, this just communicates that Michigan cares more to abiding by arbitrary rules than in having their coach’s back. Schools that blatantly flout the rules year in and year out bark at the NCAA at even the hint of an investigation and the NCAA scurries back to its hole. Michigan needs to stop caring about appearances and take care of its best coach in quite some time (and perhaps ever when it’s all said and done).

Bogus.  Not in favor of playing the NCAA’s stupid game.  Let him coach.  Flip the meaningless NCAA the bird that they deserve.

I can't see this saga ending so well.

Harbaugh has flirted how long with the NFL??

How many Big Ten Championships has he won back to back against NFL passing game offenses (Ohio)??

How worthless and degrading does he see the NCAA and their archaic rulebook??

How insulting does he see this punishment??

HOW LOYAL DOES HE FEEL TO THE UNIVERSITY FOR SELF-IMPOSING THIS AGAINST HIM??

Better prepare the short-list. 🥴 Just in case. 😞

Will UM impose punishment on Tennessee and UNC too? (asking for the NCAA, err a friend)

Unfortunately the NCAA will still want more. The NCAA never wanted Harbaugh  to succeed. 

I read all the comments before I posted. What am I missing here? Reality check, folks. I’ll address a few of the incorrect themes. 
 

First mistaken theme: Manuel causes Harbaugh to leave.
 

Are you kidding me? Have you folks been asleep over the last two years. Harbaugh actively sought an NFL job and if anyone offered one, he would have left. 
 

Second mistaken theme: Harbaugh didn’t lie.
 

How naive is this? If he was telling the truth, M would have never imposed this penalty. Harbaugh doesn’t think he has to tell anything to the NCAA. I don’t blame him if he told them to F off, but he didn’t. He lied and said he had no recollection of this. Do all of you really believe this? This guy remembers every play, every event, every slight, etc. Gimme a break. 
 

Third mistaken theme: Michigan should just tell the NCAA to stick it.

That’s the dumbest one of them all. I agree this is ridiculous in context with everything else that the NCAA has ignored the last few years: Kansas basketball, Tennessee football. But, we are still part of the NCAA, for better or worse. We can’t just tell them bite me. That’s a silly narrative. 
 

Nothing will come of this. M will destroy their first three opponents without Harbaugh. At the end of the year, Harbaugh will look to leave for the NFL, FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT OFFSEASON, and there will be zero NFL offers. He will be back to coach next year and the drama will continue. 
 

In the meantime, we have an excellent chance to compete for a NC and our beloved coach’s actions once again are the focus. What a damn shame. 
 

I don't like this at all.  It seems like a betrayal.  U of M should have stood, dug in and fought like every other school has done.  Jim is likley gone anyway after this year, so the NCAA had given up by declaring no suspensions this year. 

We have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory - and betrayed Harbaugh while doing so.

Seems a bad headline to me. 

MI should not have imposed these 3 games and let Harbaugh coach the whole year.  The NCAA is going to get what they want in 2024 anyway so just wait until then to see what happens.  On the other hand Manuel probably thinks Harbaugh will get more than the 3 games next year and hopes the NCAA will give credit for the 3 games he is sitting out next month and the NCAA can tack on 3 or more games next September 2024.   Oh has anyone looked at the roster for next year to see who is coming back?

Everybody else who follows cfb thinks this is a joke. Every other program in the country is saying we should tell them to pound sand, and we're self imposing penalties, why exactly?

What evidence is there of this mysterious level 1 violation again?

"No, and go fuck yourself." Is what the NCAA should have been told on this whole mess a long time ago.