The database shows CMU involved in an investigation that began on Oct. 31, 2023, the same day as photos were posted online that appeared to show then-Michigan defensive analyst Connor Stalions on the Chippewas’ sidelines for the school’s season-opening game against Michigan State in 2023.
The individual in the photos disguised his appearance with facial hair and was dressed similarly to members of the Central Michigan coaching staff. The person also wore sunglasses with a light in the corner, strongly suggesting the use of a recording device.
Stalions didn’t recall attending “a specific game there,” he said during an interview for a recent Netflix documentary. “I don’t even think this guy looks like me.”
In a statement provided last November in the wake of the documentary’s release, Central Michigan said, “We are aware of inferences made in the new Netflix documentary regarding former University of Michigan football staff member Connor Stalions accessing the CMU sidelines during our opening game last September. For the past ten months, CMU has fully cooperated with the NCAA’s ongoing investigation, and we will continue to cooperate with the NCAA as it works to complete its investigation.”
Multiple reports have linked Stalions to the purchase of tickets to games involving Michigan opponents, which he allegedly sent to collaborators who would record videos of the teams’ signals. Stalions would then decode the signals by matching them to offensive and defensive plays, theoretically providing the Wolverines with an unbalanced advantage.
The NCAA enforcement arm is expected to announce a decision on possible penalties at some point before the start of this season. Michigan has taken preemptive steps to mitigate the severity of any ruling, including by handing coach Sherrone Moore a two-game suspension this September. Moore was one of former coach Jim Harbaugh’s top assistants when the sign-stealing endeavor was alleged to have occurred.
At the time of Stalions’ alleged appearance at the Michigan State game, CMU was coached by former Michigan offensive coordinator Jim McElwain. The Chippewas’ quarterback coach at the time with Jake Kostner, who previously overlapped with Stalions as a student assistant with the Wolverines from 2015-18. Kostner resigned before the start of the 2024 season and McElwain retired at the end of the season.