Ex-Michigan staffer Stalions' show-cause penalty appeal denied - ESPN

An NCAA committee has denied the appeal from former Michigan football staff member Connor Stalions of the eight-year show-cause penalty he received for his involvement in the team's signal-stealing case.

Stalions, an analyst for Michigan under former coach Jim Harbaugh who oversaw the sign-stealing operation, appealed the August ruling to the NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee, arguing that the «irregular and prejudicial way in which the case started» led to errors in implementing penalties against him, and that the NCAA's infractions committee misapplied a bylaw related to prohibited off-campus, in-person scouting. Although Stalions in his appeal cited all six factors that classified the violations as Level I-Aggravated, he did not elaborate in arguing against them, according to the appeals committee's report on its ruling.

The denial stemmed from Stalions failing to show that there was no information in the case record to support the infraction committee's decision and prescribed penalties. In his appeal, Stalions contended that he was never allowed to test the credibility of the confidential sources whose information contributed to the case against him and that information the NCAA's enforcement staff shared with the Big Ten Conference «irreparably prejudiced Mr. Stalions and negatively influenced the NCAA's subsequent investigation of this case.»

He filed his appeal in October, and the appeals committee deliberated his case twice in December before issuing its final decision Wednesday. The infractions committee found that Stalions was at the center of an operation to collect cellphone videos of signals from Michigan's opponents during the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons.

«We find that the record clearly