The Michigan sign-stealing scandal is a snowball rolling downhill at full speed now.
The more reports that come out, the more it becomes clear that this wasn't a one-man show orchestrated by Michigan staffer Connor Stalions.
We already knew that Stalions was buying tickets to the games of future Michigan opponents and transferring them to others. We all saw the video of Stalions on the Wolverines' sideline giving input to Michigan assistants during games.
Now the Washington Post reports that the NCAA investigation into Michigan was prompted when an "outside investigative firm approached the NCAA with documents and videos the firm said it had obtained from computer drives maintained and accessed by multiple Michigan coaches."
Michigan sign-stealing investigation likely to involve multiple coaches
As the Post concluded, the involvement of multiple coaches "suggests the scandal's impact could broaden beyond the suspension of one low-level assistant."
It doesn't appear there's evidence linking head coach Jim Harbaugh to the alleged sign-stealing scheme but the NCAA is still known to punish coaches for the goings on in their program even if they can't prove they had knowledge. They are responsible because they should know.
It's especially damning that Sports Illustrated reported about texts Stalions sent claiming to have a close relationship with Michigan linebackers coach Chris Partridge and running backs coach Jay Harbaugh. And that was in 2021 before he was hired by the program.
The NCAA investigation is underway and their conclusions will have to come out eventually. For now, it looks pretty clear Michigan has a problem they won't be able to sweep under the rug by pinning it on the lone wolf staffer.
Michigan is on a bye week so but they'll be back on the football field on Nov. 4 against Purdue. Who knows what else we'll have learned about the scandal by then.
