Report: NCAA suspicion started with info accessed by coaches on Michigan football computers

Yahoo Sports dropped the first bombshell, ESPN dropped a series more, SI dug deeper, but the Washington Post appears to be going nuclear on Michigan football.

According to WaPo, the Michigan football troubles started when an outside firm who was investigating the Wolverines had received computers that were allegedly accessed by multiple coaches on the staff. (subscription required.) Per the report, the seriousness of it all far supersedes the Connor Stalions investigation.

The sign-stealing investigation threatening to disrupt Michigan’s football season began after an outside investigative firm approached the NCAA with documents and videos the firm said it had obtained from computer drives maintained and accessed by multiple Michigan coaches, according to two people familiar with the matter, evidence that suggests the scandal’s impact could broaden beyond the suspension of one low-level assistant.

These people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about an ongoing NCAA investigation. They did not disclose who hired the outside firm that approached the NCAA. The NCAA, the Big Ten and Michigan declined to comment.