NCAA issues Michigan football NOA on sign-stealing at convenient time
The NCAA sure has impeccable timing. They always seem to find a way to try and release information at the perfect time to protect themselves or hurt others and the organization has done it again in the Michigan football sign-stealing investigation.
According to Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, Michigan football has received the notice of allegations. That gives the Wolverines 90 days to respond which would come in November. ESPN reported on a draft notice but Wetzel reported "there are believed to be changes."
Thoughts on Michigan football getting NOA from NCAA
There is a long way to go in this. We are a long way from the punishment phase as Michigan is allowed a chance to respond. It's just interesting that this is in the news again, just two days ahead of the documentary "Sign Stealer" that will be available on Netflix starting on Tuesday.
We haven't seen much from the documentary but Stalions does say that if he's a bad guy, everyone in college football is a bad guy which is a clue. I think we'll learn a lot about Stalions and his operation, as well as what other teams were doing to steal signs -- which was extensive.
Some teams even trade signs among coaching staffs. Others breaking the rules doesn't absolve Michigan football of any punishment, but it does show that it made minimal impact.
It also shows that the NCAA is engaging in selective prosecution. I mean why haven't Rutgers, Ohio State, Illinois, and Purdue been investigated for trading signs? Surely, the other coaching staffs, at the game stealing signs from across the sideline, would cause the same threat to player safety that Stalions did.
Let's be clear: no players were ever less safe, in any way, because of sign stealing. If that was the case, the NCAA and the Big Ten have a lot to answer for.
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But the timing of the NOA is interesting. It was predictable and it tells you once again that the NCAA cares more about controlling the narrative, which makes you wonder why they even care. They aren't supposed to.