Michigan Football

Michigan football accused of stealing opponents' play signs, Big Ten says

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The Michigan football program is being investigated for conducting in-person scouting to determine the play-call signs of opponents, a practice that is prohibited by NCAA rules.

The Big Ten confirmed Thursday that the NCAA is conducting the investigation into the matter.

“The Big Ten Conference considers the integrity of competition to be of utmost importance, and will continue to monitor the investigation,” officials from the conference said in a statement.

The conference said it had notified Michigan State and the remaining opponents on the Wolverines’ schedule, a group that includes currently undefeated Penn State and Ohio State.

“The university is fully cooperating with the Big Ten and NCAA,” a spokesperson for the university said. “The investigation is ongoing, and will not impact Saturday’s game. At the University of Michigan, we are committed to the highest ethical and integrity standards for all members of our community.”

According to a report from Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel and Ross Dellinger, Michigan is accused of using “unnamed individuals to attend games of both scheduled opponents and possible College Football Playoff opponents in an effort to gather information on the signs they use to call both offensive and defensive plays.”

The report cites a 1994 rule that prohibits in-person scouting by teams.

Wetzel and Dellinger’s report indicated that at least two teams Michigan has played this season were “aware that Michigan knew their play signs.”

It remains unclear how the alleged sign-stealing was relayed to coaches, with the NCAA continuing to investigate the allegations, according to the Big Ten.

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