(WWJ) - The University of Michigan football team said they're taking steps to ensure their practice footage isn't stolen after the NCAA announced Friday that they're investigating a suspected data breach at sports performance analytics company, Catapult -- just days before the Rose Bowl.
WWJ sports reporter Jeff Lesson said at least one school -- that remains unnamed -- has been implicated in unauthorized access of another team's practice footage through a software app run by Catapult, which teams use to share and study game and practice film between players and coaches.
According to its website, the Australian-based company says its software provides “comprehensive video & data analysis solutions for football teams. Capture, analyze, & share every aspect of performance.”
The company works with more than 3,800 teams in over 40 sports, including the NFL, EPL, MLB, NHL, AFL, and NCAA. The University of Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame and Clemson are all listed as college teams that utilize its services.
In a statement to USA Today, Catapult said they are aware of the NCAA's investigation and launched on their own -- which turned up empty-handed.
"We have conducted an internal investigation and have not found any security breach in our systems," the company said. "We have shared this with local authorities that are conducting an investigation. We will continue to support the ongoing investigation with the NCAA and local authorities. At Catapult, we hold ourselves to the highest of standards and safeguarding customer information is of utmost importance to us.”
The NCAA investigation was announced not long after Alabama said it would not allow its players to take iPads home to look at film.
Alabama receiver Isaiah Bond told reporters via the Tuscaloosa News that he wasn't sure why the program made that decision, but appeared to elude to the Wolverines' sign stealing scandal.
"We were able to watch film as a team, but like personally we can't watch film because I don't know, some reason Michigan stealing signs," Bond said. "Our coaches told us that probably like a week ago, right before we left to come here."
The Wolverines haven't been taking any chances, either. According to ESPN, a spokesperson for the program said they believed UofM was actually one of the teams targeted in the breach.
ESPN said the Wolverines cut access to Cloud and video through the Catapult software back in the beginning of November in an effort to prevent any unauthorized access to its film.
Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore said they stopped players from watching video individually once coaches “caught wind of things that could be going on."
Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy told 247Sports on Friday that the decision not to view film on individual devices "just made sense with everything going on."
But the players agreed that not using the app is likely the least of their worries.
“Just making sure that we get that time in the facility, that time to watch film and really dissect whoever we’re playing," McCarthy added.
No other details about the breach have been released, including what football programs -- victim or suspect -- are allegedly involved.
No. 1 Michigan and No. 4 Alabama will face off Monday at the Rose Bowl (5:10 ET, ESPN) in a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup.