Michigan reaches settlement with NCAA for recruiting violations - ESPN

Michigan will serve three years of NCAA probation, pay a fine and face recruiting restrictions after the university and five current or former football employees reached an agreement with the NCAA's enforcement staff on recruiting violations and coaching activities by noncoaching staff members, the NCAA announced Tuesday.

The agreed-upon penalties also include a one-year show-cause order for the participating individuals.

The portion of the case that involves former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers in late January, will be considered separately by the Committee on Infractions, and then it will determine its full decision, according to a release from the NCAA.

Tom Mars, Harbaugh's attorney, told ESPN that neither he nor Harbaugh knew about the agreement to the case until seeing media reports Tuesday. Although Mars doesn't know whether Harbaugh would have participated, they were unaware about the discussions to resolve the case.

Michigan agreed to violations involving impermissible in-person recruiting contacts during a COVID-19 dead period, impermissible tryouts, and the program exceeding the number of allowed countable coaches when noncoaching staff members engaged in on- and off-field coaching activities (including providing technical and tactical skills instruction to players).

«Today's joint resolution pertains to the University of Michigan Athletic Department and several former and current employees,» Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a prepared statement. «We are pleased to reach a resolution on this matter so that our student-athletes and our football program can move forward. We have no additional information and cannot comment further on other aspects of the