Stalions 'did not obtain signals through in-person scouting' - ESPN

Former Michigan football staff member Connor Stalions told NCAA investigators that he never participated in advanced in-person scouting and didn't purchase tickets for others to attend games of the Wolverines' future opponents to record their signals.

Stalions made the claims in April during a video interview with NCAA investigators, segments of which were included in the new Netflix documentary «Sign Stealer,» which was released Tuesday.

A lifelong Michigan fan and retired captain in the United States Marine Corps hired as an analyst in 2022, Stalions is the alleged ringleader of a vast sign-stealing operation in which he's accused of sending people to scout the Wolverines' future opponents, including recording play signals from teams' sidelines. The NCAA last week sent Michigan a notice of allegations regarding prohibited off-campus signal stealing. According to the documentary, Stalions faces a three-year ban from coaching that he intends to challenge.

When Stalions is asked by an NCAA investigator if any Michigan coaches or staff members were aware of the alleged scheme to obtain opponents' signals through in-person advanced scouting, which is banned by the NCAA, he replies, «I did not obtain signals through in-person scouting.»

An NCAA investigator asks Stalions if he ever directed anyone to attend a game in which Michigan wasn't competing. «No, I don't ever recall directing anyone to go to a game,» he responds.

Records provided to ESPN by several Big Ten schools — and from some outside the conference — showed Stalions purchased tickets for multiple games involving future opponents. Stalions told NCAA investigators that he frequently purchased tickets to many games and would either resell tickets or transfer them to