Getty Image
On New Year’s Eve, Michigan’s football season came to a fairly unexpected end when TCU managed to outplay the Wolverines to earn the right to play in Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game. However, the program seems to be trending in the right direction thanks in no smart part to the work Jim Harbaugh has put in since taking the reins in Ann Arbor in 2015.
Harbaugh flirted with a potential return to the NFL last year before reaffirming his commitment to his alma mater after he failed to receive a job offer. It didn’t take long for a new batch of rumors to crop up following the loss to the Horned Frogs, but the head coach has downplayed the speculation while repeatedly stating he expects to be back on the sidelines for his ninth season at the helm.
Statement from Jim Harbaugh, who “expects to enthusiastically coach Michigan in 2023” pic.twitter.com/yrxhI4vFZe
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 5, 2023
However, things took a very interesting twist on Thursday night when The Athletic reported Harbaugh and the Wolverines had found themselves at the center of an NCAA investigation accusing the program of multiple violations—including a “Level I” infraction (which the organization views as the most “serious” tier) stemming from the coach’s failure “to cooperate with investigators related to a Level II violation regarding contact with two prospects.”
At first glance, it seemed like there was a chance that development could throw a serious wrench in Harbaugh’s plans for next season. However, based on some new information that’s come to light, it’s fairly hard to imagine the NCAA would be bold enough to issue any serious sanctions based on the nature of the supposedly grave violation in question.
On Friday, Chris Balas of On3 supplemented the initial report by claiming he’d learned Harbaugh had ended up in hot water with the governing body because he wasn’t entirely forthcoming about a meal he’d purchased for the recruits in question, saying:
“The reason Jim got a Level One, apparently, is because two committed recruits stopped by during COVID for an impromptu visit and he took them to The Brown Jug for a Jug Burger in the morning.
They found a receipt, but I guess he wasn’t completely honest about it.”
Based on the NCAA’s previous history, there’s still a chance Harbaugh and Michigan could still have to deal with a major headache, but it’s very, very hard to imagine his tenure is going to come to an end over a couple of improperly purchased burgers.