Learn Spanish with: Jim Harbaugh's punishment
The Big Ten has explained its sanctioning of the University of Michigan and Jim Harbaugh in a 13-page letter detailing the reasons behind its decision. Harbaugh's suspension as coach for the remainder of the regular season is due to a violation of the conference's sportsmanship policy. According to the letter, it outlines the organized and widespread illegal recruiting scheme allegedly orchestrated by a former Michigan employee.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti justified the sanction as a necessary action due to the extraordinary nature of the offending conduct. In the letter, Petitti mentioned that evidence gathered by the NCAA and corroborated by other conference members demonstrates that a significant portion of the violation has been proven, although exact details and possible additional sanctions have yet to be determined.
The letter directly addresses the issues raised by Michigan's athletic director and Harbaugh's attorney in their earlier letters. Petitti explains the rationale behind the sanction by detailing the evidence presented, his interpretation of conference bylaws and the need to maintain the integrity of competition.
Michigan President Santa Ono expressed dismay at Petitti's "rush to judgment," accusing him of reacting to pressure from other schools in the conference. By seeking a temporary restraining order, Harbaugh and the university hope to halt the suspension and seek an immediate judicial resolution.
Petitti also mentioned that the Big Ten received additional information from other member schools that corroborates the evidence presented by the NCAA. He noted that the existence of an illegal recruiting scheme is "incontrovertible" based on the information gathered.
The Big Ten letter also responds to Michigan's arguments about due process and the conference's obligation to allow the NCAA investigation to conclude before taking disciplinary action. Petitti asserted that the Big Ten's sportsmanship policy provides it with the authority to act independently of NCAA investigations.
In summary, the Big Ten has explained in detail in a 13-page letter the reasons behind the sanction imposed on Michigan and Jim Harbaugh. The conference commissioner justified the suspension due to a violation of the sportsmanship policy and cited the existence of an illegal recruiting scheme. Petitti also detailed the evidence presented, his interpretation of conference bylaws and the need to maintain the integrity of competition. Michigan has expressed its disagreement with the decision and has sought immediate judicial relief.
Jim Harbaugh's punishment
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