Earlier this week, during settlement discussions, Michigan officials believed they could strike a deal with the Big Ten to reduce Jim Harbaugh’s suspension from three games to two—allowing Harbaugh to coach his undefeated Michigan team’s regular-season finale against Ohio State, two people familiar with the settlement talks tell Sports Illustrated.
Then Michigan learned of new information and the school agreed to drop its legal challenge and accept his three-game suspension, a person aware of the situation says.
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The new information did not directly implicate Harbaugh, and in its statement after the surprise settlement announcement, the Big Ten reiterated it has no evidence that Harbaugh was involved or aware of staffer Connor Stalions’s illegal signal-stealing scheme. But it did lead to Michigan firing linebackers coach Chris Partridge, according to a person aware of the situation. Partridge is a longtime friend of Stalions. The full scope of what the NCAA shared with the Big Ten is not known.
Michigan and the Big Ten did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
The Wolverines left Friday afternoon to travel to College Park to play Maryland Saturday. Harbaugh is expected to accompany the team but is not allowed to attend the game. The school announced Friday that longtime college and NFL coach Rick Minter, the father of Michigan co-defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, will serve in Partridge’s place.
Harbaugh would be eligible to return to the sidelines for the Big Ten championship game if Michigan defeats Ohio State.
Editors’ note, Nov. 17 at 12:49 p.m. ET: An earlier version of this story misstated the nature of the talks between Michigan and the Big Ten, and that new information had emerged from the NCAA. In fact, SI is reporting that Michigan officials believed a deal was possible and that it is not clear where the new information came from.
