Michigan HC Sherrone Moore Reportedly Expected to be Suspended for Stalions Scandal

Michigan's self-imposed sanctions for the Connor Stalions advanced scouting scandal are reportedly expected to include a two-game suspension for head football coach Sherrone Moore during the 2025 season as the program looks to lessen any potential further punishment from the NCAA.

ESPN's Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel reported Monday the Wolverines will suspend Moore for their third- and fourth-week games against Central Michigan and Nebraska. 

The suspension will prevent him from participating in any team-related activities, including practices. What's more, he will also receive recruiting-related penalties on top of the suspension.

This might not be all for the head coach, though, as Wetzel and Thamel explained the NCAA could still further punish Moore as it continues to investigate the situation ahead of an expected resolution before the start of the upcoming campaign.

The Week 3 timing of the suspension is notable, as Michigan is slated to face Oklahoma in a high-profile nonconference game in Week 2.

Moore is no stranger to being suspended because of self-imposed penalties, as the Wolverines also suspended him for the 2023 season-opening game against East Carolina when he was still offensive coordinator.

However, that ban was for a different NCAA case involving Michigan than the Stalions one that has generated so many headlines over the course of multiple years.

The Wolverines also suspended then-head coach Jim Harbaugh for the first three games of the 2023 campaign, although he was allowed to coach practices in the weeks leading up to multiple games. Moore is not allowed to participate in practices either with this latest punishment.

Wetzel and Thamel reported the latest expected suspension is a result of allegations that then-OC Moore deleted 52 text messages with Stalions during the same October 2023 day that media reports started surfacing regarding the former Michigan staffer's advanced scouting and sign-stealing scheme.

According to Wetzel and Thamel, a draft of the notice of allegations previously revealed Moore is accused of committing a Level 2 violation.

That notice of allegations draft painted a more concerning picture for the program at large, though, as it cited Michigan for 11 violations in all and six Level 1 violations. Level 1 violations are the most serious ones the NCAA deals with and could lead to additional penalties.

In August 2024, ESPN's Dan Murphy and Thamel reported they obtained the draft of the notice of allegations that said "Stalions had impermissibly scouted at least 13 future Michigan opponents on at least 58 occasions between 2021 and 2023."

Michigan was 49-22 overall, 0-5 against Ohio State and never reached the College Football Playoff during former head coach Harbaugh's tenure prior to the alleged beginning of the scheme in 2021.

It then went 40-3 overall, 3-0 against Ohio State and reached the CFP three times from 2021 to 2023, including when it won the national title during the 2023 campaign.

Murphy and Thamel's report on the notice of allegations revealed Harbaugh and former staff members Chris Partridge, Denard Robinson and Stalions were all facing allegations of Level 1 violations.

What's more, the draft said one of the Level 1 violations came because of a "pattern of noncompliance within the football program."