The NCAA finalized and released its punishments for Michigan following their elaborate sign-stealing scandal on Friday afternoon. The repercussions include a $20 million fine of the university, a 10-year show-cause penalty for former head coach Jim Harbaugh, and an eight-year show-cause penalty for supposed ring leader Connor Stalions.
Amid the NCAA's 74-page report were details of Stalions' advanced scouting scheme, describing how the now-30-year-old would obtain video of opponents' sidelines through a "network of individuals. The report also states that Stalions' conduct following his separation from the Wolverines "hindered the enforcement staff's investigative efforts in numerous ways," including throwing his phone in a pond.
"In a November 9, 2023, recorded phone call between Stalions and student-athlete 1, Stalions told him that his personal phone was 'shattered in 1,000 pieces under a pond,'" the report reads. "Stalions also said, '[t]hey don't have hard drives of the film. My film is in the bottom of the pond.' When asked about those comments during the hearing, Stalions admitted that he disposed of his phone in the pond. Specifically, Stalions stated that he received significant backlash and threats after the scouting scheme became public. Stalions said that the comments had a significant impact on his mental health so he 'got a new number, got rid of [the phone], [and] moved on.'"
The NCAA will hold a press conference at 1:00 p.m. ET to further discuss their findings and punishments.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Connor Stalions Threw His Phone in Pond During Michigan Cheating Investigation.
