Michigan Football’s Timeline of Controversy Since 2020
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Michigan football has spent the entire 2020s dealing with one controversy after another, turning a championship-era powerhouse into one of college football’s most scrutinized programs.
Here’s a timeline of the never-ending drama in Ann Arbor over the last six years:
February 2020: Team Doctor Scandal
More than 100 former patients of a university doctor called a hotline reporting sexual abuse and misconduct by the late Dr. Robert E. Anderson, who served as a team physician for the University of Michigan football team from 1966 until his retirement in 2003.
Anderson was accused of molesting several former student athletes during medical exams while serving as a UM physician over a period of three decades, similar to the Larry Nassar abuse scandal at Michigan State University.
The misconduct included unnecessary prostate exams when male student-athletes were seeking treatment for unrelated sports injuries and genital fondling.
October 2022: Mazi Smith Gun Case
Defensive tackle Mazi Smith was charged with carrying a concealed weapon after an October traffic stop for carrying a Glock 19 handgun and magazines in his vehicle without a valid concealed pistol license. Michigan faced heavy criticism because Smith continued playing while the legal matter remained unresolved.
January 2023: Co-OC Fired Over Cyberhacking
Michigan also faced controversy involving co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss. Weiss was fired in 2023 after the university investigated allegations of unauthorized access to athletic department computer accounts. Federal authorities later charged him with running a multi-year cyberhacking and identity theft scheme targeting thousands of female college athletes.
BREAKING: The University of Michigan Police has been partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigations “for months” to investigate computer crimes committed by former OC Matt Weiss.I’m told the victims are “extensive,” cross state lines.https://t.co/ksuKfApSiR— Tony Garcia | Detroit Free Press (@RealTonyGarcia) October 26, 2023
May 2023: Bo Schembechler’s Son Resigns
Michigan hired Schemy Schembechler, son of Bo Schembechler, as assistant director of football recruiting. He resigned only three days later after scrutiny because his Twitter account was discovered “liking” racist and highly offensive social media posts.
August 2023: “Cheeseburgergate”
In 2023, reports surfaced that then-Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh met with two recruits at a local Ann Arbor restaurant and bought them burgers during an NCAA COVID-19 dead period when in-person contact was banned.
Michigan self-imposed a three-game suspension for Harbaugh to begin the 2023 season, his first of two suspensions served that season.
October 2023: “SignGate”
Cheeseburgergate was small potatoes compared to SignGate.
The NCAA found that Michigan operated an impermissible in-person scouting scheme in which staffers and others obtained opponents’ signals at games. The allegations exploded in October 2023, leading to assistant Connor Stalions’ resignation and an investigation that eventually implicated the broader program.
Jim Harbaugh denied knowing about the scheme, while Michigan maintained that its coaches did not orchestrate the operation.
NEW: @TheAthletic has obtained more photos of the goatee’d sunglasses person on the Central Michigan sideline at Michigan State.
CMU is looking into whether this is Connor Stalions.
Story: https://t.co/79siEcZ89rpic.twitter.com/R5AyslTIWF
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 31, 2023
The scandal became even more contentious when the Big Ten suspended Harbaugh for the final three regular-season games of 2023 over the conference’s sportsmanship policy. Michigan challenged the punishment, and Harbaugh ultimately missed games against Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State before returning for the Big Ten Championship Game and College Football Playoff.
The Wolverines then won the national championship, creating an unusual contrast between on-field success and off-field turmoil. The saga has continued to follow Michigan even after personnel changed.
August 2025: NCAA Hits Michigan With Penalties
After Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers following the 2023 championship, offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore took over. However, the NCAA investigation continued. In August 2025, the NCAA formally ruled that Michigan committed Level I violations connected to the scouting scheme, along with recruiting violations and failures to cooperate.
The NCAA said Harbaugh failed to meet his head-coach responsibilities, while Moore was cited for deleting text messages with Stalions and failing to cooperate fully. Michigan received financial and recruiting penalties, while Harbaugh received a 10-year show-cause penalty and Stalions an eight-year penalty. Moore received a three-game suspension.
December 2025: Sherrone Moore Mistress Saga
In December of 2025, Michigan fired Moore for cause after the university said it found credible evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
The situation became even more dramatic when Moore was arrested shortly afterward and charged with felony home invasion along with misdemeanor breaking and entering and stalking. Michigan then moved on from Moore and hired Kyle Whittingham.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Sherrone Moore body cam shows the ex-Michigan coach crying during his arrest. pic.twitter.com/8zmug1TIpY— TMZ (@TMZ) March 27, 2026
September 2026: “Bail Mary”
Michigan couldn’t even start the 2026 season without some controversy. In Michigan’s opener against Western Michigan, officials added one second to the clock after determining that a Broncos player touched the ball while out of bounds.
That gave Michigan a second Hail Mary, and Bryce Underwood connected with JJ Buchanan on a game-winning “Bail Mary” to bail Michigan out of an all-time upset.
Western Michigan questioned the replay process, while the Big Ten defended the ruling. The controversy was amplified by Michigan’s recent sign-stealing scandal.
MICHIGAN HAIL MARY WIN!JJ BUCHANAN OH MY GOODNESS. pic.twitter.com/Ic48vnm7t1— TheWolverine.com (@TheWolverineOn3) September 6, 2026
From the Connor Stalions and the NCAA investigation to coaching scandals, legal trouble, and controversial officiating, Michigan football has been a soap opera in recent years.
What began as a championship run has become one of the most turbulent stretches in the program’s modern history.
Related: Lane Kiffin’s Timeline of Turmoil Since LSU Hiring
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