College Football

Michigan gets three years probation for football recruiting violations

Published Apr. 16, 2024 2:05 p.m. ET

Michigan was given three years of probation, fined and hit with recruiting limits by the NCAA on Tuesday after football coaches and staff had impermissible contact with recruits and players under coach Jim Harbaugh while access was restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCAA said it had reached a negotiated resolution with the school that has been approved by the committee on infractions involving five former and current coaches and staffers, but it did not include allegations that Harbaugh failed to cooperate with investigators. That is now a separate case.

"We are pleased to reach a resolution on this matter so that our student-athletes and our football program can move forward. We have no additional information and cannot comment further on other aspects of the NCAA's inquiries," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in statement.

The recruiting case is also separate from the NCAA's investigation into impermissible in-person scouting and sign stealing that roiled Michigan's national championship season in 2023, and resulted in a three-game suspension of Harbaugh by the Big Ten.

After leading Michigan to its first national championship since 1997, Harbaugh left his alma mater earlier this year to become coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

The NCAA did not name Harbaugh in Tuesday's announcement.

"The negotiated resolution also involved the school's agreement that the underlying violations demonstrated a head coach responsibility violation and the former football head coach failed to meet his responsibility to cooperate with the investigation," the NCAA said. "The school also agreed that it failed to deter and detect the impermissible recruiting contacts and did not ensure that the football program adhered to rules for noncoaching staff members."

The committee said a final decision, including potential violations and penalties for the former coach, was pending.

Reporting by The Associated Press.