NCAA Bylaw, Article 11

This totally needed another thread

If Michigan is cleared of all wrong doing, I suspect the "revised" dates to be changed to something reflecting 2023 or 2024 and those by laws to change somewhat

The NCAA has no interest in opening the "moral values" Pandora's Box by enforcing 11.01.1 when they can barely even show an interest in substantive non-cheeseburger bylaws. It's 11.6.1 or it's nothing.

Also the rule was changed in 1994 not to police the morality of "sign stealing" (because obviously, they could have just said "don't do that"), it was changed because schools on limited budgets didn't want to shell out for all the travel. 

mods can we just get like one big snowflakes thread

The NCAA: "Their own moral values must be so certain and positive that those younger and more pliable will be influenced by a fine example."

Every Fan of a Team with a Losing Record: "Do you think we can get Urban Meyer?"

Interpretation: A head coach can, at the discretion of the NCAA, be vicariously responsible for any and every action of any direct or indirect employee should such a standard be selectively useful to the NCAA in matters related to, but not limited to, controlling narratives and exerting our will as we see fit to accomplish our personal goals and for purposes of, but not limited to, achieving the outcomes that we subjectively deem just, fair, and necessary to uphold the high standards and morals as we define them because we fucking said so and we feel like it. Fuck Harbaugh, amen.

If there's one certainty in college football, it's that everyone is following all the rules. This is like an episode of Seinfeld. 

You guys can all scream about this over the next few weeks and let me know what the consensus is after that.

The only thing I’ll say is that the kid shouldn’t have gone to the extent he did, but a good lawyer will be able to prove that he legally found a loophole that isn’t punishable due to the nature in which the rule is written.

According to the recent ESPN article that just posted in the last hour or two, young Mr. Stalions purchased tickets in his own name to 11 opponent games, with seats all around mid-field.  One school has camera footage of "that seat" with someone holding up an iphone filming the team sideline throughout the game.  Now, if this is all true, what was done with that film and knowledge?  Did it make its way to Harbaugh?  Hard to prove that.  

Pete Thamel seems to be digging in here.  Interesting to see if he digs into other teams to see how prevalent this is.  I'm guessing it's pretty prevalent.  Also, change your fucking signs! 

I think a lawsuit is highly likely either from UM or Harbaugh. 
 

NCAA has shown a pattern of inconsistent application of the organization’s rules as well as an apparent bias towards one Jim Harbaugh. I present the leaks and violation of their own rules by commenting on an investigation as evidence.

Then there is the violation itself. It pertains solely to a method of theft, not theft itself. The NCAA is effectively saying that theft is okay so long as it done by these approved methods. Absurd logic that exposes the underlying moral corruption within the sport.

Harbaugh is a fighter. These charges are a deep affront to his character. He will certainly fight any possible punishment in court. I also think that this makes it more likely for him to stay. Harbaugh isn’t a runner. He’s a fighter. That’s how he played and that’s how he coaches.

I hope he has a good wartime consigliere because the other families, backed by the NCAA,are coming after him hard. 

I don't understand this at all. 

I know what the rules say but it's a dumb fucking rule. 

If we crack your codes maybe it should be up to you to change your codes. 

The idea that this is improper is dumb. 

Fire the entire NCAA

Fuck Stalions and no way some of the coaches didn't know.

Also, how the FUCK did Kansas basketball get off with pretty much nothing for clearly paying for talent when it wasn't legal???

Can we hire those lawyers and strap Stalions and all conspirators on a rocket to the sun?

I have to confess. I was once offered tickets to a non-UM game by a friend. This friend worked for one of the universities involved. UM would later play both of these teams during the season. I took pictures of the sideline with said friend. I too, would be guilty of such a violation. I can only hope the NCAA hangman’s noose works quickly on me. 

Imagine if the eighth commandment was, “Thou shall not steal, but if you do, do so legally. Thou shall not steal illegally.”

 I mean, the whole thing is so ridiculous.

MGoLawyers please weigh in, but as I read this, Article 11 as a whole deals with the conduct of Athletics personnel, so if an Athletics Department employee, or volunteer with an official relationship with the University, were not themselves conducting the in-person scouting, 11.6.1 would not apply.  If what we has been conjectured is correct, that Stallions directed others to attend the games, but did not himself attend, I think most would agree this is a violation of the rule, but it seems to me it would not be a violation of the letter of the rule.  I suppose an argument could be made that if attendance were directed by an employee of the University, the attendees became agents of the University, but it seems unlikely Stallions was in a position with sufficient authority to designate agents, although the particulars of that argument are far beyond my own superficial understanding of agency law.

It sounds like Article 8 will be relevant too - it deals with institutional control, including use of non-staff members.  (Mostly for recruiting, from what I can tell, but scouting might fit in there as well.)