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Ticket purchases for football games in the name of a suspended Michigan football staffer at the center of an NCAA investigation into an alleged sign-stealing scheme have been found by multiple Big Ten teams.
Eleven schools in the Big Ten said they had found evidence that Connor Stalion, an analyst at Michigan, had bought tickets to at least one of their games over the past three seasons. ESPN reported this Monday based on unknown sources.
The Associated Press confirmed through officials at three Big Ten schools that they had found electronic purchases of game tickets in Stalion’s name. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no one was authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation.
One school found tickets under the Stalion name for at least four home games in the past two years, one of the people said.
Another school discovered that tickets had been purchased under Stalions’ name for five home games over the past three seasons and that some tickets had been electronically transferred to other people’s names, another person said. A third school found a buy under Stalion’s name for a game two weeks before the team played Michigan last season, another person said.
Connor Stalions is a former military captain and member of the Michigan recruiting staff
Big 10 sources reported purchases under Stalion’s name amid accusations of board stealing
Michigan announced Friday that Stalions had been suspended with pay pending the conclusion of the investigation. Michigan spokesman Dave Ablauf said Monday that the school could not comment on the ongoing investigation.
At least one school has found video footage from inside the stadium that shows a person appearing to use a cell phone to record what’s happening on the field, ESPN reports. The network also said he purchased tickets for Ohio State’s home game against Penn State on Saturday, although the tickets were not used; Michigan will play both teams later this season.
Michigan and the Big Ten acknowledged that the NCAA was investigating allegations of sign theft last week. The conference notified all of Michigan’s upcoming opponents of the allegations.
The second-ranked Wolverines (8-0) defeated Michigan State 49-0 on Saturday night. Michigan, which has won the last two Big Ten championships and is the favorite to play for the national title, is off this week.
NCAA rules do not directly prohibit sign stealing, but there are rules against using electronic equipment to record an opponent’s signals. One NCAA rule also prohibits “off-campus, in-person scouting of prospective opponents (in the same season).” There are also rules against unsportsmanlike or unethical activities by coaches, and head coaches are generally held responsible for violations that occur under their supervision.
Stalion was suspended with pay by Michigan on Friday as the NCAA began its investigation
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh served a university-imposed three-game suspension earlier this season for an unrelated and still unresolved NCAA recruiting violation case.
Harbaugh denied the allegations against Stalions on Thursday.
“I’m not aware that anyone on our staff did that or directed that action,” Harbaugh told ESPN. “Regardless of which program or organization I have led throughout my career, my instruction and awareness of how we scout opponents has always remained strictly within the rules.”
Stalions is a retired captain in the Marine Corps and a graduate of the Naval Academy. He was hired as an off-field analyst at Michigan in May 2022, according to a LinkedIn profile that has been deactivated.