Big Ten suspends Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, won’t coach vs. Penn State
Penn State #PennState
The Michigan Wolverines will step onto the field of Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon for their road contest against Penn State with a bit of extra emotion and a massive chip on their shoulder. The Big Ten announced on Friday afternoon that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has been suspended for the remainder of the regular season, effective immediately.
Harbaugh may still lead the program during the week, but he will be prohibited from joining the team on the sidelines for any of their remaining regular season games. That suspension will begin this weekend with Penn State hosting the Wolverines. Harbaugh will also be suspended for Michigan’s remaining games at Maryland and at home against rival Ohio State.
The suspension of Harbaugh is art of the Big Ten’s punishment to the Michigan program for violating the Big Ten sportsmanship policy in which it was found Michigan had conducted impermissible, in-person scouting over multiple years. The Big Ten sees these actions resulted in “an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition.”
Harbaugh missed the first three games of the season as a result of a school-imposed punishment as a result of an NCAA investigation to alleged recruiting violations during the COVID-19 dead period for all schools. Michigan went 3-0 in those games at the start of the season, but those three games were incredibly easier to manage than Michigan’s final three games of the year. whether or not this latest development ultimately impacts Michigabn’s big picture goals for this season remains to be seen.
But one thing is for sure. Michigan is looking to release a bit of pent-up frustration and emotions on their next opponent. And that just so happens to be Penn State.
Penn State hosts Michigan at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday for Fox’s Big Noon Saturday game of the week. Fox will be airing its traveling pregame roadshow, Big Noon Kickoff, from State College as well.
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Story originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire