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The Michigan sign stealing scandal could soon affect the sportsbooks. Sports bettors may no longer be able to place wagers on the Wolverines should the breadth of the alleged UM operation continue to grow.
News of the team’s potentially illegal scouting of future opponents arose last week. Those reports suggest that the school was sending staff members to rival venues in order to tape the sidelines.
That footage would later be used to decipher coaching signals, giving Michigan an edge on gameday.
Connor Stalions is the coach at the center of the investigation, a former Marine that’s been said to have purchased tickets to games under his own name.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Stalions had bought tickets for 11 Big Ten venues and more than 30 games over the last three years. He had also purchased access for the Ohio State vs. Penn State game last week, but the tickets went unused after the scandal broke.
The scope of the University of Michigan’s alleged sign-stealing operation includes both video evidence of electronics prohibited by the NCAA to steal signs and a significant paper trail, sources told ESPN. Stalions forwarded the tickets he bought to at least three different people in different areas of the country, sources say, which hints at the breadth of the operation.
Pete Thamel of ESPN later wrote that the scope of the operation was even more widespread, noting that Stalions bought tickets for games outside of the Big Ten. Those matchups included potential College Football Playoff opponents.
[Stalions] bought tickets for games at four schools outside of the Big Ten that were either in College Football Playoff contention or playing contenders.
There also is record of Stalions buying tickets to the 2021 and 2022 SEC title games, sources told ESPN. The tickets to the SEC title games were purchased on the secondary market.
Thamel also added that a 12th and 13th Big Ten teams were added to the list, rounding out the conference as a whole.
As the scandal continues to grow, sportsbooks could become hesitant to keep Michigan on their cards.
FOX Sports radio host Aaron Torres said as much this week.
Little note: Was told by an airtight source tonight, at least one major sportsbook has been advised to take Michigan lines off the board for the time being.
For those who still dont get it: This isn’t a “NCAA rules are dumb” issue.
Its an “integrity of the entire sport” issue.
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) October 25, 2023
He notes that the pull would be due to an “integrity of the entire sport” issue.
The Wolverines have covered their last four games, having gone 4-0-1 in Big Ten play against the spread. The team’s average scoring margin this season is 41-6 with that number creeping up to 46-6 versus conference foes.
UM has yet to allow more than 10 points in an outing while they’ve hit 30 points on offense in every matchup.
That success, paired with the scandal, might be enough for sportsbooks to pull Michigan off the table.