The NCAA has slapped the University of Michigan football program with a trifecta of penalties including a three-year probation, a fine, and recruiting restrictions after the university admitted to breaking rules during the COVID-19 dead period. The NCAA enforcement staff and the university came to an agreement yesterday regarding the violations which involved in-person recruiting contacts during an NCAA-mandated dead period, as well as impermissible tryouts and an excess number of countable coaches during practices.

According to CBS Detroit, the NCAA stated that a former coach was not part of this agreement, and the Committee on Infractions will handle his case separately. The penalties imposed by the NCAA include the football program exceeding countable coach limitations when noncoaching staff members provided tactical and technical instructions to athletes, a clear violation of NCAA regulations.

A release by the NCAA, which was picked up by FOX 2 Detroit, notes that one former coach did not partake in the agreement and awaits a separate decision from the Committee on Infractions. The committee is expected to announce its full decision on the individual's potential violations and penalties at a later date.

Former head coach Jim Harbaugh, who parted ways with the university to coach the Los Angeles Chargers, is notably at the center of controversy after Michigan acknowledged the "head coach responsibility violation" and his failure to "meet his responsibility to cooperate with the investigation," as reported by mlive. Harbaugh's attorney, Tom Mars, told mlive, "I filed a lengthy response to the (Notice of Allegations) on behalf of Coach Harbaugh, which unfortunately hasn’t been made public and will probably never see the light of day. That concluded Coach Harbaugh’s participation in the case."

In light of these developments, the University of Michigan expressed its readiness to put the matter to rest. "Today's joint resolution pertains to the University of Michigan Athletic Department and several former and current employees. We are pleased to reach a resolution on this matter so that our student-athletes and our football program can move forward," the university said in a statement yesterday, as per CBS Detroit. This resolution comes on the heels of the Wolverines' string of recent successes, including a national championship win and three consecutive Big Ten titles.