Sherrone Moore’s two-game suspension to start the 2025 season was meant to be a preemptive step. Carefully measured self-imposed penalty aimed at satisfying the NCAA’s appetite for accountability. Michigan hopes sitting Moore for games against Central Michigan and Nebraska will soften the governing body’s judgment in the long-unfolding Connor Stalions signal-stealing saga. But those in the know understand this isn’t the final chapter. In fact, the NCAA may just be getting to the meat of the matter. For all the smoke UM tried to clear with its own ruling, the fire could still burn hotter, especially if the NCAA decides that Moore’s role in the case, specifically deleting texts tied to Stalions, hints at non-cooperation.
That’s where NCAA president Charlie Baker stepped in this week, offering a long-awaited update on the investigation’s final stretch. Speaking to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, Baker laid out the timeline. “It was a thorough hearing of the issues, and everybody that wanted to speak their piece, for the most part, got it,” he said, referring to the case’s journey through the Committee on Infractions. “At the end of the day, no one believes at this point that Michigan didn’t win the national title fair and square.” That’s a bold stance, one likely to silence few but stir many. Baker also confirmed a verdict is expected within “30 to 90 days,” putting the timeline between July 11 and September 9—smack in the heart of the preseason buildup.
That puts the Michigan Wolverines in an awkward position heading into a season already packed with pressure. Their opener against New Mexico won’t exactly move the needle, but Week 2? That’s Oklahoma. That’s SEC vs. Big Ten. That’s national stage stuff. And that’s when Sherrone Moore will be back on the sidelines—if the NCAA doesn’t drop a hammer before then. Michigan’s calculus was clear: let Moore coach against the Sooners, then suspend him for games with lower stakes. But that move might come off as a little too strategic in the NCAA’s eyes, especially if they interpret it as tone-deaf to the broader investigation. The infractions committee doesn’t take kindly to perceived gamesmanship.
Moore’s specific involvement, as it stands, isn’t exactly damning, but it’s murky enough to keep the situation tense. He deleted a string of texts exchanged with Stalions before eventually producing them. There’s no smoking gun in those messages—nothing directly implicating him in the signal-stealing operation—but the act of deleting them alone could be problematic. The NCAA places a premium on cooperation, and removing evidence, even if later recovered, could trigger a harsher punishment. It’s not just what was said—it’s how long it took to say it.
U-Mich’s national title in 2023 is unlikely to be stripped or officially tainted, regardless of the punishment Sherrone Moore may face. Charlie Baker’s quote all but suggests that. But for critics, especially those in Columbus, State College, or East Lansing, the stain of the Connor Stalions affair won’t be washed away by a clean ruling or an official NCAA statement. For them, perception has always been more potent than protocol.
With the ruling expected sometime before Big Ten media days in Las Vegas or as late as early September, the Wolverines are essentially in limbo.
NCAA and Michigan are in a tug-of-war
If you think Michigan’s two-game suspension for coach Sherrone Moore was the final word, think again. According to ESPN insider Pete Thamel, this entire situation is beginning to look more like a strategic negotiation than a straightforward punishment. Thamel broke it down plainly: “When you’re negotiating, you don’t do too much,” he said, pointing out that Michigan’s light punishment is likely just a starting point in a larger back-and-forth with the NCAA.
“Clearly, that’s a signal from the other side that the NCAA seems like they think he should be suspended for more, and it’s a negotiation. They’re going to meet in the middle.” That “middle” could mean a lot more missed time for Moore, especially when you consider he’s not a first-time offender in the NCAA’s eyes.
Not to forget, Moore already served a one-game suspension back in 2023 for his role in Michigan’s COVID-era recruiting violations. Combine that with this latest incident—deleting text messages connected to the Stalions scandal. That paints a picture the NCAA may not look kindly upon.
Thamel summed it up perfectly: “It’s reasonable to ascertain that Michigan is going in low with the two [games]… Now whether he actually ends up missing those two, whether that’s accepted, whether they do more, there are a lot of variables there.” Oh, and don’t sleep on the possibility that Michigan as a program could be labeled a repeat offender too. That opens the door to recruiting restrictions—or worse, postseason implications.
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