One college football heavy hitter isn’t buying that Michigan pulled off what it’s accused of doing.
The NCAA has opened an investigation into the school’s football program after it was alleged to have repeatedly stolen opposing teams’ signs, and it seems like more damning evidence emerges by the day.
However, Urban Meyer, who coached Michigan rival Ohio State seven years, admitted he is “skeptical” of the truth to the allegations.
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Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes, right, and head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines talk prior to a game at Ohio Stadium Nov. 26, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Meyer said on his podcast with Tim May he had “been asked over 100 times to comment” on the controversy, and he finally gave his thoughts.
“First of all, I’m very skeptical of reporters’ reporting. My experience is they’re wrong most of the time,” Meyer said. “And that’s not a shot at the media, but that’s reality. People say things that they’re reporting that’s just not true. So, I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt, saying, first of all, it’s hard for me to believe that is true.”
However, if the allegations are true, it seems like Meyer believes the program should be punished.
A Michigan Wolverines helmet on the sideline during the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., April 1, 2023. (Rick Osentoski/USA Today Sports)
“I also heard people say that ‘Well, everyone does that.’ And Tim, no one does that. I’ve never heard of that in 40 years of being around the game,” Meyer continued. “There’s a very clear rule, and that rule, some will say it’s not that important. Once again, everybody is entitled to their opinion. If they know your signals, it is that important. You’re changing the game. That’s very egregious if that’s what happened. I’m not saying it did, because I’m still skeptical it did.”
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Meyer’s opinion differs from that of Deion Sanders, who downplayed it all.
“You can have someone’s whole game plan. They can mail it to you. You’ve still got to stop it, you’ve still got to stop it,” Sanders said last week.
Michigan football staffer Connor Stalions, who is believed to be at the center of the investigation, was suspended with pay late last month.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines in the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Michigan Stadium Sept. 23, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
An unnamed former Division III football coach alleged Stalions gave him “a couple hundred dollars” for the recordings of the Wolverines’ future opponents, according to a report from ESPN.
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The coach added that he received free tickets and shared the footage via an iPhone photo album. It is unclear if anyone other than Stalions had access to the alleged recordings.
Fox News’ Chantz Martin contributed to this report.