It’s been a long time since reports surfaced that the NCAA was investigating Michigan football and former staffer Connor Stalions for an allegedly illegal advanced scouting scheme, and as a result, much of what happened in Ann Arbor in 2023 was highly and heavily litigated in the media.

Last summer, the NCAA had issued its notice of allegations, which included many more violations through discovery due to Michigan opening up the facilities, and the Wolverines responded in kind, with a full-throated defense in the response to the NOA.

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Finally, both sides came to a head, with the NCAA enforcement arm, University of Michigan’s contingent, Connor Stalions, and more attending the committee on infractions hearing this past week.

The head of the NCAA weighs in

The last time that NCAA president Charlie Baker had something publicly to say about Michigan as it pertains to the scandal came the day after the national championship game, when he said: “At the end of the day, no one believes at this point that Michigan didn’t win the national title fair and square. So, I think we did the right thing.” Of course, that didn’t stop detractors (mostly rivals) from proclaiming the championship tainted.

Coming out of the COI, there hasn’t been much to go on, but Baker shared with Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger that, while he didn’t attend the hearings, he does feel like everyone had their say. And he expects that within one-to-three months, there will finally be some sort of resolution.

That could put the resolution to the matter to some time before Big Ten media days in July in Las Vegas to the beginning of the 2025 college football season.

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Michigan has attempted to resolve head coach Sherrone Moore’s infraction — where he deleted a string of text messages between him and Stalions, which he later produced — by suspending him for Weeks 3-4, against Central Michigan and at Nebraska. There has been no evidence that any of the deleted texts incriminate him in Stalions’ alleged scheme.

Disambiguation on how the COI works

Many of the vocal critics of Michigan football throughout the past two years have proclaimed to have sources, announcing ‘the hammer is coming!’ Yet, that’s not exactly how the process works.

The Detroit News’ Angelique Chengelis detailed how the NCAA operates in a story released before the hearings began. And it’s a separate tribunal, essentially, that hears the cases laid out by the NCAA enforcement staff acting as prosecutor and the Michigan contingent as the defendant.

A COI hearing at its core is not well understood by the public. One lawyer, who asked not to be named, said that’s because the rules change “so frequently, and it’s also behind a curtain.” The COI is comprised of individuals drawn from the membership or independent sources. Most have legal backgrounds.

About two weeks before the COI hearing, everyone involved in the case receives documents with information from the investigation. Those attending typically include the university president, in this case interim UM president Domenico Grasso, the former chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, who recently replaced Santa Ono. Athletic director Warde Manuel, the university’s outside lawyers and Michigan’s general counsel are expected to be there, as well as those named in the Notice of Allegations — Harbaugh, Moore, Stalions, former linebackers coach Chris Partridge and staffer Denard Robinson. While their attendance has been requested, it does not mean they all will appear. The enforcement staff is represented by three people: the primary investigator on the case, the director who oversaw the investigation and the vice president of enforcement.

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Thus, the semi-independent ‘judiciary’ (though tabbed by the NCAA) hears the case and then makes the decision and does the sentencing. But the notion that the punishment has been decided — rival fans and pundits like to throw out vacated wins and postseason bans — is false.

Though some things may have been discussed during the process as Michigan and NCAA enforcement negotiated toward a resolution, the COI panel will have its own decision. Michigan can then accept or appeal.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: NCAA’s Baker speaks on Michigan COI hearing, sets ruling timeline