It’s the scandal that refuses to die. One that has evolved from a controversy over stolen signs into a slow-motion implosion of Michigan football’s power structure. As the NCAA’s investigation into the Connor Stalions saga continues to tighten its grip, UM has tried to get ahead of the blowback. Enter Sherrone Moore. The Wolverines’ HC, freshly minted after Jim Harbaugh’s departure, has been hit with a self-imposed two-game suspension.

The school claims it stems from Moore’s role in deleting 52 text messages tied to the advanced scouting scheme. The catch? He deleted them the same day the story broke. In a program already drowning in scandal fatigue, the timing couldn’t be worse. And yet, this latest move doesn’t just punish Moore—it raises deeper questions about who’s really left to steer this ship.

According to Ohio State insiders Kirk Barton and Nevadabuck on BuckeyeScoop, Moore’s suspension might only be the tip of a much larger iceberg. Barton set the stage plainly: “It’s been a few days since we’ve talked, and it’s been an interesting little run here with the president of Michigan fleeing to Florida along with the Sherrone Moore suspension.” Despite a $27M contract extension to stay at Michigan until 2032, Santa Ono is reportedly eyeing the presidency at the University of Florida. Fleeing. That’s the word that sticks. And that’s not just hyperbole—it’s part of the growing perception that Michigan’s brass is scrambling behind closed doors.

Nevada followed up with a much more pointed breakdown: “There’s a lot to unwrap because I mean the Michigan story just keeps getting better and better. So, first we’ll kind of separate the fact and the fiction. Santo Ono fleeing to Florida has everything to do with the scandal going on in Michigan and beyond just Signalgate.”

That “beyond” is doing a lot of heavy lifting. According to Nevadabuck, Michigan’s problems extend past the field, past Stalions, and into the top brass. “Obviously, the white stuff, such a bad look for the reputation,” he continued. “And this is a guy, you understand, that signed a new contract through 2032. I think it’s a nine-year deal. He’s three years in and all of a sudden he decides one day, I’m going to leave and go to Florida over Michigan. So academically that makes no sense. From a research standpoint, that makes no sense. From any standpoint, it makes no sense other than Santa Ono is fleeing the scene of the crime.”

Nevada added that Michigan is already playing its damage-control card with the NCAA: “They’re already presenting the ‘we’ve extinguished the evildoers.’ The evildoers are all gone. The Harbaugh. The Santa Ono. And Warde Manuel soon to resign as soon as this thing is finally adjudicated.”

The optics here matter. With the athletic department tangled in ongoing NCAA drama, U-Mich is doing everything it can to make it look like it’s cleaning house—even if the mess keeps spreading. And while Moore’s two-game ban looks disciplinary on the surface, it’s a preemptive strike. He’ll miss matchups in Week 3 and Week 4 against Central Michigan and Nebraska—ironic, given Stalions’ own connections to Central Michigan during his rogue sideline escapades. Sherrone Moore can still coach the opener versus New Mexico and Week 2 against Oklahoma, but he won’t be involved in any team-related activity during his suspension. Not practices. Not film. Nothing.

Even more telling is that this isn’t just a slap on the wrist. ESPN reported that Sherrone Moore is facing further recruiting-related penalties, a clear indication that the NCAA considers this a layered violation—one that extends into multiple departments. That’s a serious concern for a program already under the microscope. Michigan has now branded itself a repeat offender, even if the infractions are dressed up as cooperation. Why admit guilt if there’s no guilt?

To top it all off, Michigan has reportedly pulled its staff off the road in recruiting—another sign that something bigger is brewing. “So don’t believe anything you read about the Santa Ono thing other than he is absolutely leaving and the tip of the spear on that leaving is this scandal involving the athletic department in general and the football team in particular,” said Nevadabuck. The walls are closing in, and what once felt like a rogue staffer’s obsession has now dragged half the university’s hierarchy into the spotlight.

Sherrone Moore’s phone wipe raises eyebrows amid NCAA storm

Oh, the timing couldn’t have been more eyebrow-raising. On the very same day that news of the Connor Stalions scandal broke. Sherrone Moore just so happened to scrub his phone of anything related to the former staffer. Coincidence? That’s what Moore is sticking to—for now.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, Moore explained in Michigan’s response to the NCAA Notice of Allegations: “So, (I) deleted all the information—all Connor, on my personal phone. And it wasn’t to hide anything, it was just that I was just extremely angry of, you know, the type of person that would do that to this program and these kids.”

That’s his story, and he’s rolling with it. Whether you buy that or not… well, let’s just say the NCAA might not be nodding along in agreement. So far, the governing body doesn’t seem too convinced by the whole “angry delete” defense. While we’re not here to say who’s fibbing and who’s fuming, one thing’s for sure—this saga is no longer just a back-page scandal.