U-M files a court injunction to lift Harbaugh’s Big 10 punishment

Jim Harbaugh, the football coach at the University of Michigan, was suspended for the remainder of the season, and the school filed a temporary restraining order against the Big 10 Conference.

The accusations of sign-stealing and the program’s inquiry led to the disciplinary penalty, which included keeping him off the sidelines.

The injunction, which was submitted on Friday night in Washtenaw County’s 22nd Circuit Court, aims to stop the Big 10 from implementing the suspension until the court gives its approval.

The conference’s evidence is outlined in a brief email from Big 10 Vice President Chad Hawley to U-M Athletic Director Warde Manuel, headed “Sportsmanship Issue.”

It claims that one of the staff members who isn’t a coach, Connor Stalions, organized a plan that encouraged people to go to games against their opponents in the future.

According to Hawley, participants were told to record opponents’ signals on camera, which is against both the Conference’s Football Game Management Manual and NCAA football playing rules, which forbid recording signals from coaches, players, and other team members and prohibit filming games in which the team is not playing.

“These were not random or isolated events. The infractions were widespread, systematic, and happened over a number of years, according to Hawley. “Specifically, dating back to at least the 2021 season and continuing through the current season, the staff member purchased strategically located tickets for games involving future opponents.”

Michigan retorted that it was intentional for the conference’s activities to fall on Veterans Day, a court holiday.

“By taking this action at this hour, the Commissioner is personally inserting himself onto the sidelines and altering the level playing field that he is claiming to preserve,” added the reply. And trying to prevent the University from requesting urgent legal relief on Veterans Day, a court holiday, is hardly a model of fairness. We want to work with Coach Harbaugh to acquire a court order stopping this disciplinary action from happening in order to make sure the process is fair.”