Trouble Brewing for NCAA as National Analyst Exposes Fallout From Michigan’s Response in Jim Harbaugh’s Defense

The NCAA used to be the boogeyman of college football. It handed out postseason bans like Halloween candy, stripped wins with the ruthlessness of a Wall Street banker, and made sure no program—no matter how big—was above the law. But those days? Long gone. The NCAA vs. Michigan’s sign-stealing drama under ex-HC Jim Harbaugh reached its pinnacle where, of course, Stalions was at the heart of the investigation, allegedly using a “vast network” of individuals to record sideline signals from future opponents. Current HC Sherrone Moore and U-Michigan have already filed a 137-page document defending themselves when the NCAA’s NOA came in. The Wolverines have lawyered up, doubled down, and if anything, look more defiant than ever. The NCAA may have come swinging, but Michigan isn’t blinking. And why should they?

The school isn’t here to negotiate. It isn’t here to play nice. It’s treating the accusations like a speed bump, not a roadblock. And now, with more than 300 former Michigan players filing a class-action lawsuit against the NCAA and Big Ten Network over NIL rights demanding a payment of $50 million. The Wolverines are shifting the battlefield entirely. It’s about power—who has it and who doesn’t. Best said by CBS’s Josh Pate on his “Josh Pate’s College Football Show” called the NCAA “incapable” of taking down major programs. He said, “Get all the legalities out of the way. Is Michigan gonna burn for this? Are they gonna go down for this? No.”

Josh Pate laid it out bluntly. Michigan may take a financial hit. They may have to fork over a hefty fine. But as for actual punishment—the kind that alters a program’s trajectory? Not happening. “You would have to staple my eyelids to the back of my forehead and have me watch that happen in order for me to believe that’s ever gonna happen to this program because it’s too big to fail,” Pate said. And he might be right. The NCAA has neither the power nor the leverage to bring down a program that is a financial asset to the sport’s most valuable conference.

This isn’t the 1980s when SMU got the death penalty and the message was clear—cheat, and we’ll bury you. This isn’t even the early 2000s when USC saw Reggie Bush’s Heisman wiped from history like he never existed. No, this is an era where the NCAA has backed itself into a corner. The second it even thinks about bringing real punishment to Michigan, it’s not just facing the Wolverines. It’s taking on the Big Ten, every network that pays billions for its rights, and every power player that has an interest in keeping the cash machine rolling. “Gone are the days where the NCAA is gonna take on any program and really kneecap them in terms of their ability to compete on the field moving forward,” Pate added. Michigan isn’t fighting alone—it has an army standing behind it, all of whom benefit from keeping business as usual.

Although, when Fox’s Bruce Feldman said, “Michigan having real money people,” this doesn’t mean cheating is suddenly an open invitation. Just because Michigan’s response doesn’t equate to a free pass for future scandals. But what it does mean is that the penalties for major programs have changed.

The cost of getting caught is now a matter of financial settlements, not postseason bans or scholarship losses. It’s like getting pulled over for speeding in a Lamborghini—you pay the fine, but you’re still driving 100 mph down the highway five minutes later. Michigan, for all the headlines, is no different than any other superpower in CFB. The NCAA may bark, but it doesn’t bite anymore.

So, call the ambulance—but not for Michigan. The real casualty here is…

Jim Harbaugh accused of ‘running to the NFL’ as sign-stealing drama intensifies

The Michigan sign-stealing saga just won’t die down, and now another head coach has jumped into the mix—this time with a not-so-subtle jab at Jim Harbaugh.

The Wolverines are still in damage control mode, pushing back against the NCAA’s allegations in a lengthy 137-page document. One of the more explosive claims? Current Michigan HC Sherrone Moore allegedly deleted text messages from former staffer Connor Stalions. Moore, however, has maintained that his decision to erase the messages wasn’t about hiding anything, but rather out of frustration with the situation. As all of this unfolds, an old Harbaugh quote from his San Francisco 49ers days resurfaced: “If you cheat to win, then you’ve already lost.” That didn’t sit well with Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, who wasted no time firing back on X.

“Really…. Why did you leave? Was looking forward to playing but understand why you ran to the #NFL. See you in the future and can’t wait. #famILLy #ILL”. Bielema’s not alone in his skepticism. Many believe Harbaugh’s decision to bolt for the Los Angeles Chargers was more about escaping the NCAA’s wrath than chasing a new challenge. However, we all know the Wolverines are walking away from this mess just fine.