It appears that Michigan will have its coach to start 2023 after all.
Wolverines boss Jim Harbaugh will not be suspended four games to start the season after a deal he cut with the NCAA fell through, sources confirmed to Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde. The deal was not approved by the association's Committee on Infractions and will now go to a full hearing.
The collapse of the negotiated deal was first reported by Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports.
Reports on July 25 suggested that Harbaugh would miss the first four games of the upcoming season as part of an agreement with the NCAA. The governing body reportedly informed Harbaugh that he was facing a Level I violation for non-cooperation with NCAA enforcement mechanisms.
Sources: the NCAA Committee on Infractions has rejected FH negotiated resolution between Michigan and Enforcement that called for a four-game suspension of Jim Harbaugh. Case will now go to a full hearing sometime later and Harbaugh is expected to coach all games this season
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) August 12, 2023
“We are continuing to work cooperatively with the NCAA staff on an enforcement matter,” Harbaugh’s attorney, Thomas Mars, said at the time. “At this time, we are not allowed to comment on possible penalties or other aspects of the matter.”
Michigan, the two-time defending Big Ten champion, is scheduled to open 2023 with East Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green and Rutgers, all in Ann Arbor.
