The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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66 THE WOLVERINE ❱ AUGUST 2025 S ilence is golden … or at least that's been the word since Michigan ad- ministrators and former staffers, including sign stealer Connor Stalions, went before the NCAA's Commit- tee on Infractions in early June. "The less leaks, the better" was the mantra when U-M defended itself in what they described as "massive overreach" by the NCAA for what the organization deemed serious violations stemming from Stalions' scouting operation used to decipher opponents' signals. But there's almost always someone willing to talk, even more eager to report, no matter how secretive an operation. So, it was no surprise when ESPN's Dan Wetzel, one of those on top of this story from the get-go, got another scoop, this one directly related to the meetings a month and a half after the committee meetings. What was unanticipated was the sub- ject of the eyebrow-raising bit of in- formation he shared. It turns out the Wolverines got support from an unlikely source in Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti — the same guy who took it upon himself in unprecedented fashion to punish Michigan by suspending coaches without due process during the 2023 season — in the form of a letter. Petitti would even have been there to back U-M in person had he not been re- covering from hip replacement surgery, the report added, and to argue that the Big Ten itself had already sufficiently punished the Michigan program when it suspended then-coach Jim Harbaugh for the final three games of the 2023 regular season (at Penn State, at Mary- land and at home against Ohio State). To that, we say, "Ya don't say." We'd also ask, like many others, "Why now?" and "What's the motive?" Skeptics (us included) would suggest Petitti could be trying to cover his butt, maybe throw up his hands and say, "Well … I tried!" if the NCAA comes down with more punishment for the pro- gram (and to be clear, still nobody close to it believes anything but show cause penalties for Stalions and Harbaugh, a suspension for Sherrone Moore, some recruiting restrictions, maybe fines and probation are on the table). Knowing what we know about the evidence that was going to be presented at the hearing, however, we believe Pe- titti is ready to have this wrapped up, for many reasons. The big one — whispers and heavy hints about the "whistle- blowers" and the source of the internal leaks that had league coaches insisting Petitti try to derail Michigan's cham- pionship season have now been all but confirmed by independent sources. When Michigan fought back against the Big Ten's immediate suspension of Harbaugh, arguing due process hadn't been followed, there was no conclusive evidence, and no proof that Harbaugh or his coaches had any knowledge, they were right. Even the "evidence" Petitti and Co. presented at a meeting with U-M that led Michigan to back off its pursuit of a temporary restraining order so Harbaugh could continue to coach later proved to be hearsay, some told us. In short, it seems Michigan essentially took some at their word that they had the goods on the program and reacted accordingly. Today, many — probably even those who helped make the deci- sion — would likely admit they over- reacted. Now more than ever it appears that people lost their jobs based on testimony of people with axes to grind, backed by some who would love nothing more than to see the program fail. And yes, there is mounting evidence of that, which we hope (expect) will see the light of day after this is over. It doesn't take a super sleuth to connect the dots on this one, and some strongly believe it would be another black eye for the conference. Perhaps Petitti is just "advocating for what he believes is best for one of the league's teams," as Wetzel wrote in giving the commissioner his credit. He was thrust into a no-win situation of sorts when league coaches convened to demand he act immediately instead of following protocol (which didn't work, anyway). The Wolverines still handled Penn State and Ohio State with Moore as the interim head coach in Harbaugh's place, proving to everyone but their fans and maybe those of a few other hated ri- vals that they won everything "fair and square," in the words of NCAA Presi- dent Charlie Baker). Forgive us, though, for having our doubts. It seems likely, in fact, that some pulling his strings were the same people who have rarely ever gone to bat for the league's most prestigious brand. But Petitti was right about one thing — Michigan has been punished enough. We expect the NCAA to agree … but it would be fascinating to see what comes next if they don't. ❏ Petitti (right) presented captain Zak Zinter and the Wolverines the Big Ten championship trophy in 2023, his first year as conference commissioner. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER Chris Balas has been with The Wolverine since 1997. Contact him at cbalas@ thewolverine.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @Balas _ Wolverine. INSIDE MICHIGAN ❱ CHRIS BALAS What's Tony Petitti's Motive Now?