Head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines were given an allegations notice from the NCAA that will investigate potential recruiting violations that occurred during the COVID recruiting dead period, two university officials told ESPN.
On top of the initial allegations notice, it is also alleged that Harbaugh did not properly cooperate with and/or misled NCAA investigators, according to an article from ABC News. In the same article, NCAA vice president of hearing operations Derrick Crawford addressed the downplay of these allegations.
“The Michigan infractions case is related to impermissible on and off-campus recruiting during the COVID-19 dead period and impermissible coaching activities — not a cheeseburger,” Derrick Crawford, NCAA vice president of hearing operations, said in the statement, referring to the simplistic characterization of the violations in some media reports.
“It is not uncommon for the [committee on infractions] to seek clarification on key facts prior to accepting. The COI may also reject an NR [negotiated resolution] if it determines that the agreement is not in the best interests of the Association or the penalties are not reasonable. If the involved parties cannot resolve a case through the negotiated resolution process, it may proceed to a hearing, but the committee believes cooperation is the best avenue to quickly resolve issues.”
The comment about the cheeseburger refers to the downplaying of the allegations. It has been dubbed “Burgergate” by many Michigan faithful.
After receiving a draft of the future notice in January, self-imposed punishments were used to attempt to soften the blow of the proverbial NCAA hammer. A three-game suspension and a one-game suspension were given by Michigan to Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Sherron Moore, respectively. The suspensions were served at the beginning of the season.
Michigan agreed to some of the Level II allegations that included things like texting during the dead period, and allowing someone in an analyst position to help with on-field coaching. Despite agreeing to some of the weaker allegations, the school is adamant that Harbaugh did not lie or mislead investigators.
