CMU allegedly arranged for Connor Stalions to be at the game with MSU, new reporting shows
CMU's Redshirt Freshman defensive lineman Kade Kostus tackles MSU's Redshirt Junior quarterback Noah Kim while CMU's Senior defensive lineman Robi Stuart tries to catch the ball, Friday, Sept. 1, in Spartan Stadium.
New reporting from CBS News Detroit revealed that members of Central Michigan University's football coaching staff arranged for Connor Stalions to be on the Chippewas’ sideline during their 2023 opener at Michigan State, an incident now under NCAA investigation.
"A CMU coach initiated contact with Stalions and that then-head coach Jim McElwain was likely aware of and approved of the arrangement to secure Stalions a sideline credential and outfit him in CMU-issued gear," CBS wrote in the article.
CMU told Central Michigan Life that they do not have any new comments as of Aug. 22, but reiterated a statement they shared earlier.
“CMU has not yet received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA and is working with the NCAA toward a negotiated resolution," CMU's spokesperson said in an email on Aug. 15. "We have been working collaboratively with the NCAA since Fall 2023, and we look forward to bringing our matter to a fair conclusion soon."
The NCAA investigation concluded that Stalions, a former Michigan staffer, orchestrated a widespread in-person scouting and signal-filming scheme from 2021 to 2023.
During Central Michigan's football opener at Michigan State on Sept. 1, 2023, photos emerged of a man on the Chippewas’ sideline wearing CMU-issued gear and a bench pass, later alleged to be Stalions. At the time, head coach Jim McElwain said he was unaware of the situation and that the university was conducting an internal review.
The NCAA has reportedly opened a separate inquiry into CMU’s role, including whether university officials knowingly facilitated Stalions’ access.
The Connor Stalions sign-stealing case also reached a new chapter for the University of Michigan when the NCAA announced final penalties on Aug. 15. They're sanctioning Michigan with more than $20 million in fines, four years of probation, recruiting restrictions and coaching suspensions, while issuing long show-cause penalties for both Stalions and former head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Current head coach Sherrone Moore received a three-game suspension—two of which were previously self-imposed—Harbaugh, who left Michigan for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, was hit with a 10-year show-cause penalty. Stalions himself received an eight-year show-cause order, effectively banning him from working in college football for the foreseeable future.
Michigan will keep its 2023 national title, NCAA concluded.
Editor's Note: This is a developing story. Read cm-life.com for more soon.
