New Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore may be facing punishment in connection with the NCAA’s investigation into the program’s alleged sign-stealing and off-campus, in-person scouting scheme.
Moore is one of seven members of the Michigan program to be accused of violating NCAA rules in a draft of the NCAA’s notice of allegations, according to a report from ESPN on Sunday.
The draft says Moore “could face a show-cause penalty and possibly a suspension” for allegedly deleting a thread of 52 text messages he exchanged with Connor Stalions, the former Wolverines staffer at the center of the scandal, according to the report.
The draft says Moore deleted the messages the same day that media reports revealed Stalions was “leading an effort to capture the playcalling signals of future opponents,” according to ESPN.
The messages were later recovered via “device imaging” and Moore "subsequently produced them to enforcement staff."
Moore is accused of committing a Level 2 violation, according to the draft, while Stalions, former head coach Jim Harbaugh, ex-linebackers coach Chris Patridge, and former assistant director of personnel Denard Robinson are all accused of committing Level 1 violations — the most serious category in the NCAA’s enforcement process, according to ESPN’s report.
"The school also faces a Level 1 violation charge, according to the draft, because of its 'pattern of noncompliance within the football program' and institutional efforts to hinder or thwart the NCAA's investigation," the ESPN report said.
Two other former coaches are also reportedly accused of recruiting violations unrelated to Stalions, according to the report.
A draft of an NCAA Notice of Allegations is used for laying out accusations and findings from the association’s investigations, but does not issue penalties, according to a report from The Detroit News.
The News reported the NCAA’s Allegation Review Board met in June to discuss the NOA draft and that the school and those involved with the scandal “will have an opportunity to respond and it’s possible a negotiated resolution is reached with the NCAA.” The NCAA could then issue a final NOA and penalties.
Also according to the ESPN report, the NOA draft states that the NCAA “gathered evidence that shows Stalions was on the sideline at Michigan State’s season-opening game against Central Michigan in 2023.”
Stallions was wearing a bench pass, CMU gear and a disguise, according to the draft, which alleges Stalions “seriously undermined or threatened the integrity of the NCAA collegiate model." The draft does not say how Stalions obtained a bench pass for the Chippewas' sideline.
Last fall news broke that Stalions was under investigation by the NCAA for allegedly running a “vast” operation that included in-person scouting at future opponents’ games and recording their sidelines in an apparent attempt to gain a competitive advantage.
As the scandal unfolded, photos surfaced purportedly showing Stalions on the sidelines at the Chippewas Friday night season opener at Spartan Stadium.
Stallions will be the subject of a Netflix documentary titled “Sign Stealer” set to release later this month. Stalions, 28, is one of three subjects that Netflix is exploring for Volume 4 of its documentary series UNTOLD that tells "epic tales from the wide (and wild) world of sports." It will premiere on Netflix on Aug. 27.
Moore was hired as the Wolverines' head coach in January to replace Jim Harbaugh, who left on the heels of a national title to coach the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers.
Moore served as interim coach in four games last season, including an early-season game against Bowling Green and the final three regular season games, all filling in as Harbaugh served two separate suspensions for two separate alleged NCAA rules violations. He posted a 4-0 record, including a memorable win over Ohio State in the regular season finale.