college football

Jim Harbaugh to Miss 3 Games on Michigan Self-Imposed Suspension

By Bella Nevin|Updated on September 5, 2023 (originally published on August 23, 2023)

There has been lots of talk about whether or not University of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh would be suspended by the NCAA due to recruiting violations and lying to investigators. After it seemed that the NCAA would defer its decision to 2024 and Harbaugh would be free for the 2023 season, Michigan decided to take his punishment into its own hands.

In case you need a recap, in January of 2023, allegations were made against head coach Jim Harbaugh that he met with recruits during a COVID-19 dead period. A dead period refers to a length of time when coaches cannot have in-person meetings with recruits. Recruiting can continue over email, phone calls, and social media, but face-to-face contact is not permitted. Other violations included having too many on-field coaches during practice and watching players work out over Zoom.

These violations are all technically considered NCAA Level II violations, which are usually more minor. However, when Harbaugh was investigated by the NCAA, he reportedly lied to investigators about the violations. Lying to investigators was considered a Level I violation and dug Harbaugh into a deeper hole.

It had seemed like the NCAA had come to an agreement with Harbaugh and would impose a 4-game suspension on the head coach. However, the NCAA decided to move the case into the off-season in 2024. It was then assumed that Harbaugh would be on the sidelines for every game this 2023 season.

But there is yet another twist in the timeline.

The University of Michigan has now decided that they will self-impose a 3-game suspension on Harbaugh at the start of the 2023 season. Harbaugh will miss the first three home games of the season against East Carolina, UNLV, and Bowling Green. He will be able to return for the next game against Rutgers.

This case is not over after the 3-game suspension. The NCAA can still impose other penalties against Harbaugh which could impact the 2024 season for the Wolverines.

The Wolverines are ranked #2 in the USA Today preseason poll and have a good chance of going all the way. One loss in college football can knock you out of the running for playoffs, but hopefully Harbaugh not being on the sideline won't affect the team too much.

Don't miss the Wolverines' first game on September 2nd at 12:00 PM against East Carolina!