Tag: Connor Stalions

ESPN: Central Michigan investigating Connor Stalions on sideline for MSU game

The saga continues. #GoBlue

The saga of Connor Stalions continues with a new revelation that started making the rounds on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday night: The Michigan football staffer was on the sidelines for Central Michigan’s season opener at Michigan State.

While the NCAA investigates alleged illegal sign-stealing, Stalions had appeared to be operating in a bit of a gray area. It has been reported he was sending non-staffers to games to videotape opposing sidelines.

This, however, would not be a gray area. It is impermissible according to NCAA rules for any staff member to attend any games (though noted in a scouting capacity) of a future opponent, outside of the postseason.

ESPN reports CMU is now investigating whether Stalions was on the sidelines for the Chippewas’ Sept. 1 game.

Central Michigan is investigating photos that show a man resembling Michigan Wolverines staff member Connor Stalions on its sideline for the Sept. 1 opener at Michigan State.

Athletic director Amy Folan, in a statement to ESPN, said the school became aware of the photos late Monday. The man resembling Stalions is dressed in Central Michigan-issued gear and standing alongside several of the team’s coaches, while wearing a bench credential.

The credential reads “VB” and appears to be designated for the visiting bench area, which is different than a general sideline pass. It gives access to the designated area between the 20 yard lines, which is reserved for players, coaches, trainers and equipment staff. Schools are given a finite amount of passes for each game.

“We are in the process of determining the facts surrounding them,” Folan’s statement reads. “As this process is ongoing, we have no further comment at this time.”

There has yet to be confirmation that Stalions is the man in question, but MGoBlog is reporting it was him.

More on this story as it develops.

Social media explodes with latest Michigan football, Connor Stalions revelations

Can we go a day without some big news? #GoBlue

It’s continued to be a wild week for Michigan football — and not in a good way.

With a slow drip of information continuing to hit the internet when it comes to the Wolverines’ alleged illegal sign stealing, various media outlets have been sharing intel which has been divulged from various institutions about the ordeal.

The latest came via SI.com, which didn’t really seem to have any relevance to the case, but instead expounded more on Connor Stalions behind the scenes. Social media gravitated towards on particular issue — a 550-600 page document about the vision of Michigan in the future — as being a key talking point.

Here is how social media reacted.

How Big Ten and other coaches around the country reacted to Michigan’s sign stealing saga

Here’s how Big Ten coaches and others across the nation have reacted thus far when asked about Michigan and sign stealing allegations. #B1G

For almost a week now, [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag]’s main rival Michigan, has been in the midst of sign stealing allegations.

The accusations are fairly simple: Recruiting analyst, Connor Stalions, would visit upcoming Wolverine opponents, record their sideline signals, decode them, and stand extremely close to coaches on game days to help figure out what plays opponents would run.

That’s what is being alleged by and large anyhow before we get the benefit of anything that comes from an official investigation. So, patience Buckeye Nation before piling on, something not easy to do when brought up with the rivalry in The Game.

It’s a scheme that has seen more than a few coaches speak out on it, some with more intricate answers than others. Find out below what some Big Ten and other coaches around the country said regarding the most recent issues at Michigan. We have video, tweets in some cases, and a brief response for each.

Report: University of Michigan staffer purchased tickets to Oregon game in 2022

A new report shows that Michigan Wolverines staffer Connor Stalions purchased tickets to an Oregon Ducks game in 2022 vs. Washington.

It looks as if the Oregon Ducks are being included in one of the biggest stories in the college football world relating to the Michigan Wolverines and an apparent sign-stealing scandal that has unfolded over the last week.

The notorious University of Michigan staff member who has been at the center of the controversy over the last week, Connor Stalions, reportedly had intentions of scouting the Oregon Ducks a year ago, hoping to give a competitive edge to the Wolverines in a potential College Football Playoff scenario.

According to Mercury News reporter Jon Wilner, and later confirmed by The Oregonian’s James Crepea, Stalions purchased tickets to the Oregon home game between the Ducks and Washington Huskies in 2022. At the time, Oregon was ranked No. 6 in the nation and had a clear path forward to a spot in the Playoff.

Both Wilner and Crepea report that the purchased seats were behind the visitor’s bench inside Autzen Stadium, with a clear look at the Oregon sideline.

[lawrence-related id=50670]

The Big Ten announced last week that Michigan is under NCAA investigation for the alleged sign-stealing operation. Stalions, the staffer who was reported at the center of this operation, has been suspended indefinitely.

ESPN has confirmed that Stalions purchased tickets to more than 35 games at 17 stadiums around the country. He has been reportedly seen in videos sitting in the stands of multiple games, videotaping the opposing sideline in hopes of picking up signals for future opponents, which is against NCAA rules.

In-game sign stealing is not prohibited under NCAA rules but rather is believed to be widely practiced and tolerated in the sport. However, the use of electronics to record the signals of opposing teams and in-person advance scouting at opponents’ stadiums is prohibited.

In a statement last week, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh denied “illegally stealing signs” and said he had never “directed any staff member or others to participate in an off-campus scouting assignment.”

To read more, check out USA TODAY’s Wolverines Wire for full coverage.

Michigan staffer reportedly had tickets for Ohio State vs. Penn State

Michigan staffer was planning to attend Ohio State vs. Penn State on Saturday.

This Michigan cheating scandal seems to be getting worse by the day for the Wolverines. It has been reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Mark Schlabaugh that Michigan staffer Connor Stalions purchased tickets to over 30 games in the past three seasons at 11 Big Ten schools.

This also included two tickets to this past weekend’s matchup between Ohio State and Penn State with one ticket located directly behind each team’s bench. After news broke of the investigation late last week, it was noted the tickets went unused for Saturday’s game. Tickets to all games were confirmed to be purchased in Stalion’s own name making the paper trail easy to follow.

News broke that trouble could be brewing in Ann Arbor last week with accusations of sign stealing. At the time, all we knew was that the NCAA and Big Ten Conference thought their information was reliable enough to notify all the teams that Michigan is yet to play this season.

Now more details are coming out and possible video surveillance footage of Stalions recording the sidelines at an opposing Big Ten stadium of an upcoming UM opponent.

Add the fact Michigan was already under investigation for recruiting violations during the COVID-19 dead period … well, things aren’t looking too rosy for Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines.

With Michigan ranked No. 2 in the nation, it remains to be seen how swiftly the NCAA will act. However, if the evidence is as overwhelming as reports are insinuating, could the Wolverines be kept out of this year’s College Football Playoff?

Time will tell as more comes to light.

You can read the full article of new allegations on ESPN.com

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on “X” (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. 

Media reacts to ESPN Michigan football Connor Stalions ticket bombshell

Interesting perspectives all around.

Michigan football is on bye this week, and yet, it’s the main character on college football social media.

Not good.

ESPN reported Connor Stalions, the Wolverines staffer allegedly caught up in the illegal sign stealing investigation, has left a paper trail of having purchased 30 tickets to 11 Big Ten teams’ games in the past three seasons. Sign stealing is legal if not done by a staffer in person, so there is perhaps some gray area, but we’ll find out more in the coming days or weeks.

Many in the media reacted to the news and weighed in with their thoughts. Here are some of the more prominent reactions.

ESPN reports bombshell on Michigan football, Connor Stalions sign-stealing allegations

This doesn’t look good.

With Michigan football’s sign-stealing drama, where the NCAA has alleged that the Wolverines have surpassed that which is the legal practice into illegal territory, has taken a turn.

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Connor Stalions — the NCAA’s person of interest — has reportedly purchased tickets to more than 30 games of Michigan football’s opponents over the past three years, and he did so in his own name, per the report. Thamel says that ESPN has extensive evidence also of the paper trail and that 11 Big Ten schools have provided proof of the claims.

More:

Connor Stalions, the suspended Michigan staffer at the center of the NCAA’s sign-stealing probe, purchased tickets in his own name for more than 30 games over the past three years at 11 different Big Ten schools, sources at 11 different league schools told ESPN.

The scope of the University of Michigan’s alleged sign-stealing operation includes both video evidence of electronics prohibited by the NCAA to steal signs and a significant paper trail, sources told ESPN. Stalions forwarded the tickets he bought to at least three different people in different areas of the country, sources say, which hints at the breadth of the operation.

The NCAA is expected to receive video evidence this week of illegal technology used in scouting tied to tickets purchased by Stalions, according to sources. An opposing Big Ten school looked up in-stadium surveillance video from a game earlier this year, and sources said the person in the seat of the ticket purchased by Stalions held his smartphone up and appeared to film the home team’s sideline the entire game.

Sources confirmed to ESPN that Stalions purchased tickets on both sides of the stadium — across from each bench — for Ohio State‘s game with Penn State on Saturday. Michigan plays both teams in upcoming weeks. According to sources, the tickets purchased by Stalions were not used Saturday. Stalions’ name emerged publicly in an ESPN story Friday. He was suspended with pay by Michigan.

Stalions has been on staff in some capacity over the past several seasons but was hired full-time just three years ago.

If these allegations are proven, the next step would be discovery of whether or not Michigan football and Jim Harbaugh were aware of this or if Stalions was a lone wolf in this matter. Again, these are allegations, but with 11 Big Ten schools cooperating, it does appear to give some credence to the claims.

Stay tuned, we’ll have more as the story continues to develop.