“It’s blatant cheating. I mean, even knowing run or pass (before a play) is a huge advantage. So you’d like to see it taken seriously.” This statement by an anonymous group of five coaches to the NY Times shows just how serious the sign-stealing controversy involving Michigan is. But wait, Sherrone Moore didn’t have to do anything about it; even the program denied Jim Harbaugh’s involvement. It was the act of a lowly defensive analyst, Connor Stalions, who ‘independently’ orchestrated the deed, which probably happened because he cared too much about Michigan winning. At least that’s what the program claims, and Stalions resigned way back in 2023. But do you think the NCAA believes this story? Probably not!

The NCAA has its problems in the whole process. Why? The controversy, which should have been put to bed a year back, still is moving at a snail’s pace, riddled with bureaucratic red tape. The final suspensions should already have been given, and the culprit, if any, behind the whole sign-stealing scandal should have been identified swiftly. Instead, what we are getting is selective leaks from the NCAA, and the process is taking longer than anyone would expect. But on June 6th, finally, the NCAA is starting its hearings, and from there, the process is expected to move efficiently. So, what can we finally expect then for Sherrone Moore?

Pete Thamel sat with ESPN senior writer Dan Wetzel on the 5th June episode of ‘ESPN College Football’ and talked about things like the CFP’s 5+11 model and Sherrone Moore’s fate with NCAA hearings. Pete Thamel ultimately said the punishment will not depend on the NCAA alone, and there will be negotiations between Michigan and the NCAA instead of an outright suspension.

“When you’re negotiating, you don’t like to do too much, right? So, there’s clearly a signal from the other side that the NCAA/committee seems like they think he (Sherrone Moore) should be suspended for more; it’s a negotiation. They’re going to meet in the middle… So, it’s reasonable to ascertain that Michigan’s going in low with the two. Now, whether he actually ends up missing those two, whether that’s accepted, whether they do more, there are a lot of variables here.” But where in the middle?

Quite recently, Michigan, taking into account the upcoming hearings, had proposed a self-imposed suspension for Sherrone Moore. The suspension was proposed to take place for two games in week 3 and week 4 against Central Michigan and Nebraska. At that time, it was proposed that Moore would be barred from the team activities. However, there were allegations that the suspension was strategically planned, with Moore still appearing against Oklahoma in week 2, which is his alma mater. So, now with Pete Thamel’s revelation, it seems the NCAA isn’t satisfied with the proposed suspension, and they want more accountability. But how long will the whole process take, since we all know it’s the NCAA, right?

The final timeline for Sherrone Moore’s punishment revealed

The COI hearing is scheduled for June 6th and June 7th, and the final outcome may not be what Michigan is expecting. Moore faces a tricky past in the months involving the sign-stealing scandal since he deleted 52 text messages to Conor Stalions after the controversy erupted. The texts were later retrieved, but it was reported that nothing incriminating was found, and the deletion was probably a “knee-jerk reaction.” Dan Wetzel finally revealed the timeline of the final verdict on the scandal.

“They have their hearing, and then there will be an NCAA that will have 45 days to issue a ruling. Perhaps we might actually get this done. I’m sure there’s some appeal process,” said Dan Wetzel. So it seems that after 45 days, we will be getting to know the final verdict. But it might not be too lenient for Moore.

Moore’s deletion of the text messages in the NCAA documents is mentioned as a Level 2 violation, which is less severe than the Level 1 violation. However, Moore’s alleged image as a repeat offender may not help his case. Since the 2023 season, Moore has also faced allegations of involvement in a separate recruiting violation infamously known as Jim Harbaugh’s ‘burger gate’ scandal. So, these multiple allegations could complicate the case for Sherrone Moore. However, his $27.5 million contract already has a clause that protects him from being fired for these alleged violations.