The Big Ten plans to prohibit Jim Harbaugh from being on the Michigan sidelines for the rest of the regular season, the conference announced Friday. However, he will be allowed to coach during the week.
The conference also plans to discipline Michigan's football team for the in-person scouting and ongoing sign-stealing investigation, according to a report from Pete Thamel. The discipline in place is not yet known.
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"The Big Ten Conference announced today that the University of Michigan has been found in violation of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy for conducting an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition," the Big Ten said in a statement.
Michigan intends to seek a court order with Harbaugh to prevent disciplinary action from taking effect.
Harbaugh said in late October that he never directed staff to engage in improper conduct, and said that his staff would fully cooperate with the NCAA's investigation.
NCAAF
Here is his full statement:
“I want to make it clear that I, and my staff, will fully cooperate with the investigation into this matter.
“I do not have any knowledge or information regarding the University of Michigan football program illegally stealing signals, nor have I directed any staff member or others to participate in an off-campus scouting assignment. I have no awareness of anyone on our staff having done that or having directed that action.
“I do not condone or tolerate anyone doing anything illegal or against NCAA rules.
“No matter what program or organization that I have led throughout my career, my instructions and awareness of how we scout opponents have always been firmly within the rules.
“Pursuant to NCAA rules, I will not be able to comment further while this investigation takes place.”
According to a report from Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel and Ross Dellinger, Michigan is accused of using “unnamed individuals to attend games of both scheduled opponents and possible College Football Playoff opponents in an effort to gather information on the signs they use to call both offensive and defensive plays.”
The report cites a 1994 rule that prohibits in-person scouting by teams.
Wetzel and Dellinger’s report indicated that at least two teams Michigan has played this season were “aware that Michigan knew their play signs.”