Michigan athletic director says school will 'fight' NCAA over cheating scandal investigation

The University of Michigan football program of athletic director Warde Manuel is under investigation for several alleged serious violations of NCAA rules.

During an appearance on Michigan Insider this week, Manuel said he and the school would “fight” the NCAA during the investigation.

“First of all, we will fight when we have to,” Manuel said. “And if we've made mistakes, we'll own up to them and deal with them. I don't want people to think that we're not fighting for what we believe is right for the University of Michigan and the people here just because we don't talk about it publicly – and I can't. We do.”

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Blake Corum (2) of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in overtime against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the CFP semifinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 1, 2024 in Pasadena, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The program is under investigation for alleged illegal sign theft by former employee Connor Stalions. The investigation began midway through last season and resulted in the suspension of former head coach Jim Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season.

After the team won the national championship against Washington, Harbaugh left the team to take over the Los Angeles Chargers long before the investigation was completed.

The NCAA recently issued a four-year hearing order against Harbaugh as a result of its investigation into Michigan's improper contact with recruits and players during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manuel added that his programs were not above the rules.

“But at the same time, you also have to understand that when we do things that are against the rules and we know that they are against the rules, we have to admit that and move on and deal with it. It's an ambiguity. You feel like you have a responsibility to abide by the rules that we say we abide by, but if it gets to a point where we feel like it's gone too far or we have to fight against something, we certainly will,” he said.

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Donovan Edwards (7) of the Blue Team and head coach Sherrone Moore are interviewed after the Michigan spring football game at Michigan Stadium on April 20, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Jaime Crawford/Getty Images)

Michigan Wolves running back Donovan Edwards told Fox News Digital this week that the investigation does not affect his team.

“Personally, I'm not hearing anything. We're worried about today, not anything else,” Edwards said. “We're worried about what's going on in Schembechler Hall, not what other people are saying or controversy. We can only control what we can control, and that's our attitude, our effort and what we do on a day-to-day basis.”

Michigan has received the final version of a notice from the NCAA about allegations related to the investigation into Stalions' alleged violations, the NCAA and the school said Sunday. The school now has 90 days to respond. The school could then receive a hearing before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions, but a negotiated settlement is still possible.

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Connor Stalions on the sidelines during a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 26, 2022. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network)

Stalions was initially placed on leave from the school and later resigned. He did not participate in the investigation. Stalions is expected to break his silence on Netflix on Tuesday, when the documentary “Sign Stealer” premieres on the streaming service.

Harbaugh denied knowledge of the violations.

Meanwhile, head coach Sherrone Moore, who was Harbaugh's top assistant in 2023 and served as interim coach during Harbaugh's multiple suspensions, spoke out about his alleged relationship with the Stalions two weeks ago. Moore was accused of deleting text messages with the Stalions.

“All I'll say is, I look forward to her release,” Moore said of his text messages with Stallions.

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