The Michigan staffer at the center of the sign-stealing allegations has is no longer employed by the university according to several reports. Yahoo Sports was the first to report the news of a firing, but that was followed by a statement from Michigan surrounding a resignation.
Connor Stalions resigned his position with Michigan Athletics this afternoon,” the school said in a statement. “We are unable to comment further regarding this personnel matter.”
Though they are still allegations, Stalions has been the key figure in what seems to be a mounting pile of evidence that an elaborate scheme was in place to steal opposing opponents signs by way of advanced in-person scouting and video surveillance. Working to decipher an opponent’s signs in-game while on the playing field against them is not illegal, but doing so with intent ahead of time in person and with the use of recording equipment is. It’s been that way since 1994.
The alleged scheme has been reportedly in place for a couple of years, with Stalions, a former Marine captain, being someone with a penchant and knack for deciphering signs opponents play signals.
The University of Michigan has fired recruiting analyst Connor Stalions, a source tells Yahoo Sports. He was previously suspended with pay during the NCAA investigation into in-person scouting.
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) November 3, 2023
Just recently, according to reports, Big Ten coaches and athletic directors have put the pressure on new commissioner Tony Petitti to do something to punish Michigan for violating the competitive integrity of the game. Pettite was scheduled to visit with Michigan’s president on Friday, but no further information has come out yet on how that meeting went, or what the next steps are.
As it’s been for a couple of weeks now, there’s sure to be more come out on this. As reputable information is available, we’ll be here to pass it along.
*** This story was updated to reflect a resignation from the original reporting of a firing by original outlets.
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