Minor NCAA Violations Won't Impact Jim Harbaugh's Momentum at Michigan
Just five months into the job, first-year Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Michigan are the subjects of an NCAA issue.
OK, so it's not that dramatic. It's a minor issue. Blame it on the summertime news cycle.
It's been quite an offseason for Harbaugh, whose Twitter account might be the best thing to happen to college football in 2015. Additionally, Michigan's "Summer Swarm" satellite camp tour is intended to drive home Harbaugh's return to college football and the resurrection of the Wolverines program.
None of that will be affected by the latest news from Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com. According to Baumgardner, Michigan recently self-reported four secondary/Level III violations spanning from December to April. The self-reported violations are as follows:
1. Michigan safeties coach Mike Zordich speaking about incoming graduate transfer Wayne Lyons before Lyons had signed with the Wolverines.
2. Harbaugh personally donating an autographed team helmet and jersey to a benefit auction. The donation was not reviewed by compliance, and the items were—unknown to Harbaugh—used toward a scholarship fund.
3. Allowing an unnamed recruit to sit in a premium-seating area with coaches during a Michigan hockey game.
4. Creating/sending impermissible electronic correspondence/recruiting materials to an unnamed recruit.
But what you really need to know is this, from Baumgardner:
"All four of the self-reported violations were obtained by MLive via a Freedom of Information request. All Level III violations are considered to be minor, and none of Michigan's self-reports resulted in the loss of eligibility by any student-athlete or coach.
In all instances, coaches/staffers were educated by compliance, and no further issues came as a result.
"
This isn't even a wrist slap from the NCAA. At best, it's bordering on a wrist graze. It's an admitted "whoops, sorry about that" from Michigan and an "eh, no big deal" from the NCAA.
Regardless of the nature of the violations, the big thing is that no one on Michigan's coaching staff faces any consequences that could jeopardize recruiting efforts. Michigan's 2016 class will be the first to have Harbaugh's stamp on it. The relationships that develop into verbal commitments that morph into national signing day signatures are formed during these summer months.
As far as recruiting pitches go, Michigan is concentrating on rebuilding the reputation of the program and selling the future. Why? That's pretty much all it has at the moment. This is a program that's been dominated on the field and in player development by rivals Michigan State and Ohio State over the past several years. And others are using that to their advantage.
Appearing on ESPN's Championship Drive podcast recently, Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio took a shot at programs selling hope, which could have been directed at Michigan. "Right now, we're selling results," Dantonio said about recruiting. "I've said this over and over. We're selling results. Other people are selling hope."
If it was a veiled shot at Michigan, it wasn't completely inaccurate—even if Wolverines tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh took exception to it:
There's nothing wrong with selling hope/potential/work/the future—whatever you want to call it. Harbaugh just needs all hands on deck for that, whether it's in the form of summer camps or visits.
If the NCAA had taken any action, no matter how small, it could have hurt those efforts. It didn't, though, so to paraphrase a great philosopher: Ain't no party like a Jim Harbaugh Party 'cause the Jim Harbaugh Party don't stop.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.
