ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Thursday brought us two items in Jim Harbaugh – that he doesn’t know the future and is expected to coach Michigan in 2023 and the NCAA had investigated Michigan. On Friday, the Harbaugh circus continued as violations were revealed and at what level they are. Reported by multiple sources, Michigan was noticed of four potential Level II violations and one Level I violation.
Level II violations are minor infractions but the Level I violation is more serious that could lead to significant recruiting violations or even a suspension for a number of games. The NCAA says that Level I allegations are a “severe breach of conduct” that “seriously undermine or threaten the integrity of college sports.”
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The Level II allegations are from the CoVID-19 dead period where there were coaches too many coaches at a training session and watched players work out on video. The Level I allegation is geared toward Harbaugh for misleading the investigation.
Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel said on Friday in a statement according to the Detroit Free Press, “We have cooperated and will continue to cooperate with this investigation. Out of respect for the NCAA’s enforcement process, we will not offer further comments.”
What did he mislead the NCAA about is the biggest item being talked about right now. This allegation is over buying hamburgers for committed recruits and Harbaugh lying about it. What is being reported from college football insider Dan Wetzel is that the NCAA found “evidence” that Harbaugh lied about the hamburgers for recruits at a restaurant. Barstool Sports has said that what Harbaugh told the NCAA was that “he didn’t recall” if he had hamburgers with committed recruits that made an impromptu visit to a local restaurant for morning burgers.
So if what is being reported is true, that burgers were bought for committed recruits during a pandemic on an impromptu visit to see Michigan, and the NCAA is going to hold Michigan accountable for buying burgers and Harbaugh “not recalling it.” If this is so, then there are a lot of other programs that need to be looked into. The line of truth by Harbaugh saying “he didn’t recall” is a could be considered a white lie if there is evidence that it happened and that is what the NCAA is upset about – a coach lying to them. If Harbaugh is suspended for lying about buying a burger, it maybe the end of NCAA. With NIL issues and major portal transfers tampering, the NCAA has other problems on their hands rather than a coach “not recalling” about buying burgers for a recruit. This isn’t the Tennessee Jeremy Pruitt situation where cash was given out in McDonalds bags.
If a “severe breach of conduct” and “threatening the integrity of college sports” is about “not recalling” buying a hamburger for committed players, then the NCAA needs to rewrite their Level I rules and look at the tampering in the transfer portal and the integrity that is going on there with NIL. There are reports of player tampering in the transfer portal with NIL items but are those being looked into by the NCAA? Instead there is an investigation on one of the most moral head football coaches in college football that mentors his players, gets them ready for life, and ready to be “Leaders of Men.”
No matter what happens, the Harbaugh circus continues.
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