JIM Harbaugh’s former college squad has been handed hefty fines for a sign-stealing scandal.
Michigan football is being fined around $20 million and faces other penalties for the scandal.
Jim Harbaugh could face punishment from the NFL for his Michigan scandal[/caption]
Michigan faces sweeping punishments for a sign-stealing scandal[/caption]
However, Jim Harbaugh, the team’s head coach at the time, isn’t getting off scot-free.
Harbaugh has been handed a hefty punishment from the NCAA alongside Michigan’s punishments.
While he isn’t being fined, Harbaugh received a 10-year show-cause order from the NCAA.
This is added on to a previous four-year show-cause order he already had.
This means Harbaugh is essentially banned from coaching college football until 2038.
Now that he is coaching in the NFL, that really isn’t all that bad of a punishment.
He won a National Championship with Michigan and is now pursuing a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Chargers.
However, he might not have fully escaped punishment.
In 2023, the NFL’s website published an article saying Harbaugh’s move from college football into the NFL might not be a “safe harbor” for him.
This is based off of a precedent set in 2011 surrounding Ohio State.
In 2011, Ohio State quarterback Terrell Pryor faced a five-game suspension for trading memorabilia for cash and tattoos (this was before NIL allowed players to make money).
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell upheld that suspension when Pryor joined the Raiders in the 2011 Draft.
On top of that, Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel was also suspended for five games by the school.
He resigned during the scandal and took an advisor role with the Indianapolis Colts, but was also suspended by the Colts.
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There aren’t any official bylaws regarding NCAA penalties translating into the NFL, but there is a precedent.
It is up to the league to decide whether or not Harbaugh should face discipline for his college infractions.
When approached about the subject, the NFL declined to make a comment to The U.S. Sun about a potential suspension for Harbaugh.
Time will tell whether or not Harbaugh will coach the full season with the Chargers this season.
