Michigan AD Says School Plans to 'Fight' NCAA Over Rules Violations

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel says his school will 'fight' the NCAA as it investigates several alleged major rules violations. 

“First of all, we’re going to fight when we need to fight,” Manuel said during an appearance on 'The Michigan Insider" that was covered by WFIN. “Also, where we have made mistakes, we’re going to admit them and deal with it. I don’t want people to think because we don’t talk about it publicly — and I can’t — that we’re not going to fight for what we think is right for the University of Michigan and the people that are here. We are.”

The Wolverines football program is currently under investigation for alleged sign stealing by former staffer Connor Stallion. That investigation began last year and resulted in the suspension of head coach Jim Harbaugh for the final three regular-season. 

Since then the team won the national championship against Washington, and Harbaugh departed for the NFL's Los Angeles Rams. Meanwhile the NCAA also announced a four-year show cause order over Harbaugh's impermissible contact with recruits and players during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as interfering with the investigation into that matter. 

Manuel noted that his programs are not about the rules. 

“But, at the same time, you have to also understand that if we do things that are against the rules, that we know are against the rules, we need to admit it and move forward and deal with it. There’s a duality to that. There’s a sense that you have a responsibility to adhere to rules we say we’re going to participate in, but when it gets to a point where we feel like it is over the top, or we need to fight something, we certainly will,” he said. 

Harbaugh has denied any knowledge of the violations.