The NCAA’s appeals committee has upheld the eight-year show-cause penalty levied against former Michigan football staffer Connor Stalions, effectively closing the door on his attempt to overturn the sanctions tied to the Wolverines’ sign-stealing scandal.
Stalions, 30, had filed an appeal back in October, arguing that the original ruling handed down in August by the NCAA Committee on Infractions was flawed - citing what he claimed were procedural missteps and a misapplication of rules surrounding in-person scouting of future opponents. But after two rounds of deliberations in December, the appeals committee wasn't swayed.
In its final decision, released Wednesday, Feb. 11, the committee stood firm, stating that the enforcement process followed protocol and that the infractions panel based its findings on corroborated information - not just tips from confidential sources.
“We find that the record clearly supports that procedures were followed,” the committee wrote, emphasizing that Stalions did not prove any connection between media attention on the case and a breakdown in NCAA investigative policy. The committee also noted that the urgency to protect game integrity in this situation justified the actions taken by enforcement staff.
At the heart of the case is a wide-reaching scheme that the NCAA says Stalions orchestrated across three seasons - 2021, 2022, and 2023 - involving the collection of cellphone videos of opponents’ sideline signals. The NCAA concluded that Stalions played a central role in the operation, which allegedly gave Michigan an unfair edge by decoding opposing teams’ play calls.
It’s a scandal that cast a shadow over Michigan’s most successful stretch in decades - one that culminated in a national championship in 2023. While the title remains intact, the fallout has been far-reaching.
Former head coach Jim Harbaugh, who left Ann Arbor to take over the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, was hit with a 10-year show-cause penalty of his own. Several other Michigan assistants also received show-cause penalties, underscoring the NCAA’s view that this wasn’t the work of a rogue staffer - it was systemic.
For Stalions, the failed appeal means the eight-year show-cause stands. That penalty effectively bars him from working in college athletics unless a school is willing to go through a rigorous NCAA approval process - a rare and unlikely move given the nature of the violations.
The NCAA’s decision sends a clear message: sign-stealing, especially when it involves in-person scouting and unauthorized video collection, won’t be brushed off as a minor infraction. It’s a line the governing body doesn’t want crossed - and in this case, they’re making sure the consequences stick.