Yahoo Sports had reported the day before Big Ten media days in July that Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh and the NCAA were discussing a four-game suspension to start out the 2023 season. Harbaugh is accused of misleading the NCAA on a secondary violation.
However, according to Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel on Saturday, those negotiations have broken down, and it appears that any potential suspension would come in 2024, with the case going to the committee of infractions.
An agreement between the NCAA and Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh concerning penalties stemming from what the NCAA deemed to be false statements Harbaugh made to investigators has broken down, an industry source told Yahoo Sports.
Harbaugh and the NCAA had come to a tentative resolution that would see the coach serve a four-game suspension to begin the 2023 season. Multiple former assistants were also sanctioned.
The deal still needed approval from the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions. Many believed that would be a formality.
However, hurdles arose and the deal is now off, sources said.
Harbaugh has said he cannot discuss the case but has noted he hopes to get everything out in the open, noting he’s ‘not ashamed.’ Wetzel believes this could be a precursor to Harbaugh not being the Wolverines’ coach in 2024.
If the case pushes into 2024 – as expected – it's reasonable to wonder if Harbaugh will even still be Michigan's coach. He's said he wants to remain in Ann Arbor, but he's spoken with NFL teams the last two offseasons.
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) August 12, 2023
Regardless, Harbaugh will now be on the sidelines for every game in 2023. We’ll keep you updated about the NCAA investigation in the future.
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