Per Thamel: Harbaugh suspended through end of regular season

Submitted by Jedelman11 on November 10th, 2023 at 3:40 PM

See tweet

https://twitter.com/petethamel/status/1723075635185373448?s=46&t=RtbIXCz3KCz-GRTBJwzTZw

Football

swalburn

November 10th, 2023 at 3:51 PM ^

This is about the most cowardly thing I've seen.  They waited until late in the day on an observed holiday before our biggest game of the season.  I hope we destroy the conference over this.  I hope we sue everyone.   I thought common sense was going to prevail.   

Joined: 11/24/2011

MGoPoints: 8025

ixcuincle

November 10th, 2023 at 3:52 PM ^

Official release comment:

 

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced today that the University of Michigan has been found in violation of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy for conducting an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition.

Big Ten Conference Agreement 10.01 states in part that “The Big Ten Conference expects all contests involving a member institution to be conducted without compromise to any fundamental element of sportsmanship. Such fundamental elements include integrity of the competition, civility toward all, and respect, particularly toward opponents and officials.”

As a penalty imposed on the institution, the University football team must compete without its Head Football Coach for the games remaining in the 2023 regular-season, effective immediately. This disciplinary action shall not preclude the University or its football team from having its Head Football Coach attend practices or other football team activities other than the game activities to which it applies. For clarity, the Head Football Coach shall not be present at the game venue on the dates of the games to which this disciplinary action applies.

The Big Ten Conference will have no additional comment at this time.

Joined: 08/11/2010

MGoPoints: 6793

MIFANinMD

November 10th, 2023 at 3:54 PM ^

Honestly I've thought all the leaves the big ten stuff is crazy until now. I say screw it. Sue them and announce we're exploring a move to the sec. Why wait and why be in the big ten with this nonsense 

Joined: 06/10/2011

MGoPoints: 1729

LSAClassOf2000

November 10th, 2023 at 3:56 PM ^

They really want this fight, eh?

Well, they can have it, I suppose.

Petitti really is an MFer for doing this as the team is travelling - he really did, in fact, do the cowardly thing. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130627

TBlue

November 10th, 2023 at 4:14 PM ^

It is time to go fully nuclear on the B1G conference, Petitti, and his Suckeyes buddies.   Our lawyers are going to rip them to shreds over how they handled this.

Joined: 12/08/2019

MGoPoints: 613

TBlue

November 10th, 2023 at 4:30 PM ^

So.....barring an injunction against the B1G, M wins out and then destroys the pathetic loser team from the west in the B1G championship game.  At which point we take the trophy from Petitti, and immediately give him a colonoscopy with it without fentanyl or versed.

Joined: 12/08/2019

MGoPoints: 613

4wheeljive

November 10th, 2023 at 4:44 PM ^

So much is happening so fast, it's hard to process, but here's my quick take...

According to the copy of the B1G press release I've seen:
- Michigan "has been found in violation of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy for conducting an impermissible, in-person scouting operation"
- The decision that Harbaugh may not coach or be in the venue during the final three games of the regular season is described as a "disciplinary action" and a "penalty imposed on [Michigan]"

[So this is not a Rule 32.2.1.A interim action to protect the integrity or preserve the status quo, which would be nonsensical under the circumstances, but would have been relatively easy to fight.]

There has already been discussion on this thread (and in Wednesday's attorney letters to the B1G) that the Sportsmanship Policy is not applicable at all in this situation, which should be governed instead by the B1G's Rule 32 (which in this case would require deferral to the NCAA investigation). But assuming the Sportsmanship Policy does apply, the B1G action here must reflect either a unilateral decision by the commissioner or a decision by the Joint Group Executive Committee. Since the commissioner may unilaterally issue a suspension of not more than two games, it seems that this decision must have been made by the JGEC. 

Notably, "Any member of JGEC whose institution is involved in an incident for which approval of a major disciplinary action is sought shall be recused and temporarily replaced by an individual (or individuals) representing an institution (or institutions) not involved in the incident at issue." Given that the "incident" here is the alleged impermissible scouting of numerous teams over multiple years, what B1G schools is not involved? I suspect this is an issue that may be examined.

The language of the decision is interesting in that it does not say that Harbaugh may not coach. It says that "the University football team must compete without its Head Football Coach." Phrasing it this way, the B1G wants to be seen as punishing the university rather than Harbaugh, which it must do because the Sportsmanship Policy allows punishment of an individual only if that person is "found to have committed an offensive action." Look for Mars & Co. to argue that the conference can't hold Harbaugh personally accountable in a roundabout way by merely phrasing the punishment in a clever way.

More to follow...

Joined: 10/27/2023

MGoPoints: 343