Michigan's Jim Harbaugh Accepts Suspension, Will Not Fight In Court After Big Ten Agrees To Close Inquiry

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has decided to accept the three-game suspension from the Big Ten and not fight it in court.

In a stunning move on Thursday afternoon, Jim Harbaugh, along with Michigan, released a statement saying they would not fight the suspension. Also, the Big Ten agreed to close its investigation into the matter, which indicates no further suspension will occur.

"This morning, the University, Coach Harbaugh, and the Big Ten resolved their pending litigation," Michigan announced. "The conference agreed to close its investigation, and the University and Coach Harbaugh agreed to accept the three-game suspension. Coach Harbaugh, with the university's support, decided to accept this sanction to return the focus to our student athletes and their perfjoamcne on the field.

"The conference has confirmed that it is not aware of any information suggesting Coach Harbaugh's involvement in the allegations. The university continues to cooperate fully with the NCAA's investigation."

This comes just 18 hours before Jim Harbaugh and the Big Ten were scheduled to face each other in a court room. Now, both sides have decided to lay down their swords, with Michigan understanding that no further punishment could come from the conference.

After battling in the court of public opinion for the last few weeks, the fight comes to an end, with Jim Harbaugh missing the pivotal Ohio State game.

Make no mistake, this is Michigan not having to worry about further punishment if new evidence would come from the NCAA's investigation. Jim Harbaugh accepting this suspension after weeks of fighting should be a clear sign that the school does not want to deal with this any longer.

Now, the NCAA will handle it from here, but will obviously take longer to investigate the matter.

Could There Be More Michigan Coaches Suspended?

There is the possibility that other coaches are implicated in this matter, which would cause Michigan to punish others. While the Big Ten hasn't announced any type of suspensions, that doesn't mean the school did not uncover something during its own inquiry.

It will be something to watch over the next few days, and weeks. The Big Ten will wait to hear from the NCAA on what it uncovers. If there were assistant coaches partaking in this scheme with Connor Stalions, the Big Ten could then penalize Jim Harbaugh, Michigan further. But in terms of the current situation, the Big Ten is standing down, allowing the NCAA to do its job of investigating.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines is seen with University of Michigan President Santa J. Ono following the Big Ten Championship against the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Big Ten Response To Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Is About Integrity

On the other side of the fence is the Big Ten, with commissioner Tony Petitti handing down the suspension to Jim Harbaugh.

In a statement that was released just after Michigan, the conference made it clear it was its duty to protect the integrity of the conference.

"The Big Ten Conference's commitment to student-athletes, sportsmanship and the commissioner's duty to protect the integrity of competition will never waiver," the Big Ten noted. "Today's decision by the University of Michigan to withdraw its legal challenge against the conference's November 10th notice of disciplinary action is indicative of the high standards and values that the conference and the university seek to uphold.

"The University of Michigan is a valued member of the Big Ten conference and the conference will continue to work cooperatively with the University and the NCAA during this process."

Now, the fight between the conference and Michigan has come to an end, with Michigan caving to the pressure, but not risking further punishment.

We were headed towards a court room, but now Harbaugh has to hope Michigan can win its next two games, so he can see the sidelines at the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis.