Two game self-imposed suspension for deleting innocuous text messages that were then given to the NCAA? 🙄 The NCAA must have a special penalty matrix for anyone who was part of Jim Harbaugh’s staff. The NCAA might as well make them all wear the Scarlet H just to make its point. https://t.co/G6j7QjfXm8

— Tom Mars (@TomMarsLaw) May 5, 2025

Michigan football is expected to meet soon with the NCAA to work to resolve the nearly two-year Connor Stalions saga, and has just self-imposed a suspension for head coach Sherrone Moore for two games in the 2025 season. And one prominent lawyer isn’t happy about the actions being taken.

Tom Mars is the lawyer known most for taking on the NCAA. The Arkansas-based attorney was instrumental in getting Shea Patterson eligible for the Wolverines and has represented Jim Harbaugh for some of these NCAA battles.

Mars weighed in on Monday in the aftermath of Moore’s suspension and noted just how heavy-handed the NCAA is being (though this suspension is self-imposed by Michigan) given that Moore’s deleted texts were considered ‘innocuous’ as it pertains to the Connor Stalions saga and that the deletion was something of a knee-jerk reaction.

Mars wasn’t the only one to have a strong reaction to the news, but some of the ire has been directed more at the University of Michigan athletic department rather than toward the NCAA.

Steve Deace, host of Michigan Podcast, turned his focus on the U-M AD considering that other institutions have tended to go to bat for their programs (Tennessee comes to mind) while Michigan is quick to capitulate.

What a bunch of self-righteous, sanctimonious, ankle-grabbing BS from the administration. Complete and total cowards. Literally the only administration still remaining that cowers in fear to the feckless NCAA. Absolutely disgusting. https://t.co/oKaOvuiJix

— MichiganPodcast (@MichiganPodcast) May 5, 2025

Certainly, it won’t make much of a difference with the NCAA and as far as the college football landscape is concerned, no matter how ‘innocuous’ the texts might be, without an explanatory statement, the action of suspending Moore is essentially an admission of guilt by the Michigan athletic department. With that in mind, Deace might be on to something.

Moore’s actions fall under the NCAA’s ‘failure to cooperate’ maxim, but he indicated that it was much ado about nothing last fall, when he said, “I’ll just say this, is that I look forward to them being released, and that’s it.”