The immediate tension surrounding Jim Harbaugh’s status for this Michigan football season appears to be over. But the stakes may have escalated for next year ... if there is a “next year” for Harbaugh in Ann Arbor.
Sources with knowledge of the situation told Sports Illustrated Saturday that a negotiated resolution to the Michigan infractions case was “rejected” by the NCAA Committee on Infractions. Yahoo Sports first reported the complication in the case. The NCAA Enforcement division and the university had arrived at an agreed-upon resolution earlier this summer that sources said called for Harbaugh to serve a four-game suspension to start the season, among other likely penalties for staff and the institution. However, the resolution was subject to review and acceptance by the COI, and the adjudicative group rejected it.
What happens now? For starters, Harbaugh appears to be clear to coach the full season instead of sitting out games against lightweight competition: East Carolina, Bowling Green, UNLV and Rutgers, all at home. But while sending the case to a full hearing will delay a final ruling and potential appeals until after the 2023 season, it also could change the sanctions Harbaugh and others face.
