In an ideal world, years would pass before any news outlet brought up the Michigan sign-stealing scandal. But this ain’t an ideal world, guys. So, you better believe it; there won’t be a week in which this scandal doesn’t make headlines. The Michigan sign-stealing scandal has been haunting college football like an overcaffeinated ghost since 2023. From court filings to viral memes, Connor Stalions’ antics became the storyline of the season, almost overshadowing the fact that Michigan went 15-0 and won a national title. But now, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti is stepping in and saying, Enough already. Yup, the same guy Michigan fans booed relentlessly last year is now going to bat for them. Plot twist, right?

So, what changed? And why is the same commissioner who suspended Jim Harbaugh now writing letters defending the Wolverines? According to ESPN’s Dan Wetzel, Petitti recently sent a letter to the NCAA Committee on Infractions urging no further punishment for Michigan. His reasoning? The Big Ten already handled it last fall when it benched Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season. Yes, those games that Michigan won anyway, by the way, including that Ohio State showdown.

“[Tony] Petitti has sent a letter to the NCAA Committee on Infractions arguing that Michigan deserved no further punishment in a case focusing on the actions of former staffer Connor Stalions,” Wetzel wrote. “The letter was read at an early June infractions committee hearing in Indianapolis, multiple sources told ESPN.” And it wasn’t just a formality either. The Big Ten confirmed the letter and even said Petitti would’ve shown up in person if not for a hip replacement. Commitment? Check. Redemption arc? Nah, no redemption. Our guy Petitti is all about being the bigger person.

Petitti’s argument was simple enough. According to him, Michigan paid its dues. “The integrity of competition is the backbone of any sports conference or league,” he had written back in November, when announcing Harbaugh’s suspension. But now, according to sources, he believes the program’s three-game penalty was punishment enough. And Michigan’s not exactly resisting the cleanup effort either—they reportedly proposed suspending current head coach Sherrone Moore for two games in 2025 for deleting texts related to the scandal (don’t worry, the NCAA recovered them). Moore wasn’t found to have any knowledge of the scheme, but it’s a move meant to show some good faith.

So, what’s next? The NCAA still has the power to slam Michigan with vacated wins, bowl bans, coaching suspensions—you name it. They don’t have to listen to Petitti, but this move is a big-time olive branch heading into the 2025 season. And remember, this is coming from a commissioner who once got dragged through the legal mud by Michigan fans and lawyers. There were court filings, restraining orders, and accusations of “malice.” But as of now? Petitti seems ready to bury the hatchet, and apparently, so is Michigan.

In a sport where grudges last longer than some coaching contracts, it’s rare to see a public pivot like this. But maybe, just maybe, the Big Ten is moving on. The question now isn’t whether Michigan will get hit again; it’s whether the NCAA is willing to let the Wolverines keep their crown and focus on what’s ahead. Because love it or hate it, Michigan’s already answered on the field.

The Tony Petitti meeting that never happened

It turns out the final straw for Jim Harbaugh might not have been about money or even the sign-stealing investigation. It was about a no-show. According to CBS Sports’ John Talty, Harbaugh was deeply frustrated when Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti failed to show up for a meeting they had scheduled. For a coach as intense and principled as Harbaugh, this was a signal. A signal that when things got heated, the people in power weren’t willing to look him in the eye.

This petty absence by Petitti didn’t happen in isolation. It came amid a turbulent backdrop where Harbaugh already felt slighted, not just by the Big Ten brass, but by his own athletic director, Warde Manuel. Harbaugh told a friend he had wanted to stay in Ann Arbor but that Manuel wasn’t the “advocate he needed in his corner.” He was reportedly livid at how Petitti handled the suspension process during the sign-stealing fiasco, especially when Michigan had to beat both Penn State and Ohio State without him on the sidelines. For Harbaugh, it likely felt like a public trial without a fair defense.

In the end, Harbaugh walked away, straight into the arms of the NFL and the Los Angeles Chargers. But this was a coach who, even after delivering a national title, still felt outnumbered in the political war rooms of college football. Petitti, with his decision to skip a face-to-face meeting, may have unintentionally slammed the door shut on Harbaugh’s future in the Big Ten. That tension has finally settled with Petitti’s decision to put an end to Michigan’s misery concerning the sign-stealing saga. It’s about time they put an end to this chapter.