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It didn’t take long for Jim Harbaugh to respond to respond to allegations that his Michigan Wolverines have been illegally stealing signs from opposing teams.
Harbaugh issued a statement on Thursday evening after the NCAA announced it was launching in investigation into the program.
“I want to make it clear that I, and my staff, will fully cooperate with the investigation into this matter,” Harbaugh said. “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.”
The statement comes in response the NCAA looking into allegations that Michigan violated NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1, which states that “off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents (in the same season) is prohibited.”
“Late Wednesday afternoon, the Big Ten Conference and University of Michigan were notified by the NCAA that the NCAA was investigating allegations of sign stealing by the University of Michigan football program,” the Big Ten said in a statement released Thursday. “The Big Ten Conference has notified Michigan State University and future opponents. The Big Ten Conference considers the integrity of competition to be of utmost importance and will continue to monitor the investigation. The Conference will have no further comment at this time.”
Harbaugh, of course, has already served a self-imposed three-game suspension to being the season. That came after he was found to have offer Wolverines recruits impermissible benefits.