University of Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel's football program is under investigation for several alleged major violations of NCAA rules.
During an appearance on “The Michigan Insider” this week, Manuel said he and the school will “fight” the NCAA during its investigations.
“First of all, we're going to fight when we have to,” Manuel said. “Also, when we've made mistakes, we're going to admit them and face them. I don't want people to think that because we don't talk about it publicly — and I can't — that we're not going to fight for what we think is right for the University of Michigan and the people who are here. We're going to do it.”
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Blake Corum (2) of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in overtime against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the CFP Rose Bowl Game semifinal at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 1, 2024, in Pasadena, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The program is under investigation for alleged illegal sign-stealing by former staff member Connor Stalions. The investigation began midway through last season and resulted in former head coach Jim Harbaugh being suspended for the final three games of the regular season.
After the team won the national championship against Washington, Harbaugh left to take over the Los Angeles Chargers, long before the investigations were concluded.
The NCAA recently announced a four-year order to show cause for Harbaugh as a result of its investigation into Michigan's impermissible contact with recruits and players during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manuel added that his programs are not above the rules.
“But at the same time, you also have to understand that if we do things that go against the rules, that we know are against the rules, we have to admit it, move on and deal with it. There's a duality to that. There's a sense that we have a responsibility to abide by the rules that we say we're going to participate in, but when it gets to a point where we feel like it's over the top, or we have to fight something, we'll definitely do it,” he said.
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Team Blue's Donovan Edwards (7) and head coach Sherrone Moore are interviewed after Michigan's spring football game at Michigan Stadium on April 20, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Jaime Crawford/Getty Images)
Michigan running back Donovan Edwards told Fox News Digital this week that the investigations do not affect his team.
“Personally, I don't hear anything. We're concerned about today, not anything else,” Edwards said. “We're concerned about what's happening at Schembechler Hall and not what other people are saying or the controversy. The only thing we can control is what we can control, and that's our attitude, our effort and what we do day in and day out.”
Michigan has received the final version of an NCAA notice of allegations related to the investigation into the Stalions’ alleged violations, the NCAA and the school said Sunday. The school now has 90 days to respond. The school could then get a hearing before the NCAA’s infractions committee, though a negotiated resolution is still possible.
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Connor Stalions on the sidelines during a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 26, 2022. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network)
Stalions was initially suspended by the school and later resigned. He did not participate in the investigation. Stalions is expected to break his silence Tuesday on Netflix when the documentary “Sign Stealer” premieres on the streaming service.
Harbaugh has denied any knowledge of the violations.
Meanwhile, head coach Sherrone Moore, who was Harbaugh’s top assistant in 2023 and served as interim head coach during Harbaugh’s multiple suspensions, addressed her alleged relationship with the Stalions two weeks ago. Moore has been accused of deleting text messages with the Stalions.
“I'll just say this: I hope they get published,” Moore said of his text messages with Stallions.
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