Michigan Has Pulled New Contract Offer From Jim Harbaugh, Amid NCAA Investigations: Report

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has been reportedly waiting on a new contract from the school that would've put him at the top of the Big Ten. Now, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Michigan is not moving ahead with the offer.

The new contract has been the topic of discussion around Ann Arbor for some time now, before the allegations of sign-stealing first arose.

Now, the school is reportedly having second thoughts of giving Harbaugh such a lucrative contract, especially one with a large buyout. The WSJ reports that the school is not going to present him or his agent with a new contract.

There are now numerous investigations going on that involve Michigan football, or former coaches. The ongoing NCAA inquiry into recrutiing infractions dating back to Covid-19 was at the forefront of the suspension to start the season.

After both sides thought they had come to a conclusion, the NCAA decided to hold-off. Then, Michigan and Jim Harbaugh self-imposed a three-game suspension, hoping to get in-front of potential punishments from the NCAA down the road.

This was obviously a risky move, as the NCAA could see this suspension as not harsh enough, which is another reason why the process is still ongoing.

NCAA Investigating Michigan, Connor Stalions For Sign Stealing Scheme

According to a report from the Washington Post, an outside legal firm is holding the evidence that could cause further problems for Michigan. The Post is reporting that the investigation into Michigan started earlier this season, and the law firm has video evidence from computer hard drives that multiple coaches used, not just Connor Stalions.

The NCAA has been on the Michigan campus this past week investigating the allegations, while also interviewing football staffers. It should be noted that this process does not only involve assistant coaches, but people employed by the football program, from the paid interns to recruiting assistants.

A WSJ report states that the law firm has evidence that shows the participants were going to spend around $15,000 during the 2023 season to gather intel on upcoming, and potential opponents. The firm also reportedly has photos of the people involved in the operation, with evidence that videos from the games were then uploaded to a computer hard drive used by Connor Stalions and other Michigan coaches.

We are all waiting to see what the NCAA uncovers during its investigation, including the Big Ten conference. If there were to be any type of punishment this season, it would most likely come from the Big Ten, not the NCAA.

While all of this is going on, the first College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday night. The new rankings should have Michigan ranked second, but we will see what the committee is thinking in regards to their schedule.

Either way, there will be a number of questions for the CFP committee on if the sign-stealing allegations have had, or will have, any impact on ranking the Wolverines.