NCAA Enforcement is investigating whether Michigan football violated rules prohibiting “sign stealing,” the Big Ten Conference confirmed Thursday. Multiple sources told Sports Illustrated the alleged violations involved impermissible in-person scouting. Yahoo Sports reported the news first.
The NCAA prohibited in-person scouting of opponents in 1994, but sources said Michigan has allegedly sent personnel to games to try to glean play signals from future opponents. Sign-stealing is not technically an NCAA violation, but using staff or other assigned personnel to attend games would be against the rules. Sources said that was the issue with the Wolverines.
A staffer with one of the teams Michigan played this season told SI, “We had an inclination before we played them that they were sending advance scouts and videoing signals.”
