CBS Sports reveals how Jim Harbaugh’s exit impacts Michigan’s pending NCAA investigations

With Jim Harbaugh off to the NFL, Michigan is still under the gun for a pair of ongoing NCAA investigation. And the what comes of those cases in terms of NCAA punishment is unclear.

CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson took a pass at unpacking how the two cases — one for Covid dead period violations and another for the impermissible scouting of former staffer Connor Stalions — will affect the Wolverines and Harbaugh going forward.

For Harbaugh, by going to the NFL, the worst the NCAA can reasonably levy against him is a show cause for some period of time. That would make it so any college program seeking to hire him has to “show cause” as to why they want to employ Harbaugh.

It could also result in a suspension for him after a potential return to the college game, however unlikely that may be.

As for Michigan, matters get more complex. Due to the school-imposed suspension at the beginning of the season for Harbaugh, the NCAA might agree on some mitigation for the first NCAA investigation involving the Covid dead period. However, the impermissible scouting investigation becomes more weighty.

The end result really comes down to whether or not the NCAA will be inclined to vacate wins. That will likely hinge on how convincing a case Michigan and it’s lawyers can make about the advantage gained and how it wasn’t actually large relative to the rest of college football.

And vacated wins would mean potentially vacating the 2023 national championship, keeping the stakes plenty high for all involved.

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