According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, University of Michigan president Dr. Santa Ono emailed Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti asking for due process respect amid mounting pressure for the commissioner to discipline the Wolverines football program for alleged in-person scouting and sign-stealing. According to Thamel, Ono contacted Petitti on Thursday night, ahead of their Friday meeting, saying he was “deeply concerned” about the allegations against the Wolverines football program and that the university is devoted to “ethics, integrity, and fair play.”
The NCAA has been investigating the Michigan football team since mid-October, but Petitti is within his rights to conduct his own investigation and impose Big Ten conference penalties.
Petitti has been considering disciplinary action against the Michigan football team after rival Big Ten schools called for it on a conference-wide coaches’ call earlier this week. The coaches’ call, combined with Ono’s upcoming meeting with Petitti on Friday, caused Ono to send the email ahead of the in-person talk.
“It’s precisely at these times – when all key facts are not known but others are all too comfortable offering strongly held opinions – that it is essential for everyone to ensure that investigations are conducted fairly and that conclusions are based on what actually happened,” Ono said in a statement. “No matter how many and how loudly people protest, the reputatio
“We, like any other Big10 member, deserve nothing less.” Our students, coaches, and program all have the right to a fair, methodical, and thorough process.” The inquiry into sign-stealing has focused on former Michigan football staffer Connor Stalions, who resigned from his position with the program on Friday.
Stallion allegedly purchased tickets to dozens of rival school games, when he and others allegedly recorded the sidelines of future Michigan opponents in an attempt to steal the teams’ signals. According to NCAA rules, both in-person scouting and video recording of the sidelines are prohibited.
Leave a Reply