Last week the NCAA made its final ruling on punishments for the infamous Michigan sign-stealing scandal from 2023. To say it was a slap on the wrist would almost be too harsh. The punishment amounted to an easily-payable fine and some similarly-light recruiting restrictions.

Ann Arbor ― Michigan’s current players certainly had a vested interest in learning the NCAA’s punishment of the program for an investigation into an illegal scouting scheme, particularly whether that would yield a postseason ban that would affect them.

The recent NCAA report detailed a fractured dynamic between the football program and the school’s compliance department.