Mt. Pleasant — Central Michigan football coach Jim McElwain stated that the name of now-suspended Michigan football staffer Connor Stalions was not on his team’s pass list to have sideline access to scout Michigan State during a September season-opening game.
According to photos circulating on the internet, Stalions was on the Chippewas’ sideline during the Sept. 1 game. Last month, the Wolverines defeated rival Michigan State 49-0.
McElwain stated on Tuesday that Central Michigan is aware of the photograph with “the sign-stealer guy” and is looking into it.
“I certainly don’t condone it in any way, shape, or form,” McElwain, a former Florida coach who worked under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan in 2018. “I know his name was not on any of the passes that were issued.” We keep trying to figure it out by tracking it back. Our people will take care of it.
“There’s no place in football for that.”
Michigan banned Stallion on Oct. 20 after an inquiry purportedly revealed incriminating footage of and recorded plans and finances for scouting the Wolverines’ opponents.
Central Michigan athletic director Amy Folan says the images were discovered Monday night.
Stalions, a low-level Wolverine staffer, was employed as part of the recruiting team in 2022. He has not made any public statements since the allegations were made public. The NCAA has now been involved.
The NCAA does not prohibit sign-stealing, but it does prohibit in-person scouting of opponents, and the purported extent of the Michigan case has been the focus of college football. Stallion allegedly obtained tickets to Michigan opponents’ games and deployed personnel to gather video of sideline signals used to call plays.
Harbaugh, who was suspended for three games earlier this season by the university for an unrelated and still unresolved NCAA breaches case involving recruitment, has denied any knowledge or involvement in illegal scouting of opponents. Michigan has declined to respond, citing privacy concerns.
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