Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh suspended for remaining regular season games

Michigan Wolverines football coach Jim Harbaugh on Friday received a suspension from the Big Ten Conference barring him from coaching at games for the rest of the regular season.

The unprecedented penalty stemmed from what the conference deemed "an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition," according to The Wall Street Journal. The team had faced allegations of stealing play-signals.

Typically it falls to the NCAA rather than the conference to seriously discipline coaches, and the Big Ten move comes ahead of the NCAA investigation's conclusion. Prior to the Friday decision, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel had urged the conference to refrain from rendering any decision until the NCAA investigators published their findings.

The Big Ten, however, retorted that it is "of the utmost importance to protect the reputation of the Conference and its member institutions and to ensure that our competitions on the field are honorable and fair."

Harbaugh may continue to perform regular coaching duties during the week and could coach in a bowl or conference championship should the team qualify. The 9-0 team has three remaining games in its regular season, including a Saturday game against Penn State.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.