Michigan spying scandal takes BIZARRE twist as Wolverines football website claims rival Ohio State coach Ryan Day 'hired private investigators to probe sign-stealing allegations'

A curious new report claims the University of Michigan is in possession of documents linking rival Ohio State football coach Ryan Day to a privately funded investigation into spying allegations against the Wolverines football team.

However, the report isn't coming from an independent news source, but rather a Michigan fan webpage: On3's TheWolverine.com.

'Several sources at Michigan and in the media tell TheWolverine.com they are gathering evidence on two private investigators they believe are behind the investigation into U-M's alleged illegal on-site scouting,' the report reads. 'The same sources also believe the two are responsible for the media leaks that have kept the story in the news for weeks.'

TheWolverine.com claims that both investigators have family ties to Day and names his brother, Tim, as one of the PIs.  

Connor Stalions, the low-level Michigan football staffer who is at the center of an NCAA investigation into sign stealing and alleged scouting improprieties, resigned Friday. The NCAA is investigating Michigan for allegedly sending Stalions, and possibly other staff, to opponents' games to record video that would be used to decode their in-game signals.

OSU coach Ryan Day (right) is accused of launching the investigation into the rival Wolverines

Stalions allegedly refused to cooperate with any internal or external investigations or talks 

Jim Harbaugh refused to be drawn on an NCAA investigation into a sign-stealing scheme

'We know for a fact that they were at a number of our games,' Purdue coach Ryan Walters said Thursday on his radio show. 'We've had to teach our guys a new language.'

The Wolverine.com report, if true, might not have any impact on the accusations against Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Ohio State and Michigan spokespeople did not immediately respond to Mail Sport's request for comment. 

While the information has not been proven, many Michigan faithful are already taking it as the gospel truth.

Barstool Sports founder and Michigan grad Dave Portnoy parroted a similar report from 247Sports' Michigan site.

'Are you saying that Third Base [his derisive nickname for Ryan Day] hired his own brother to investigate Michigan because he can't beat us?' Portnoy said on a recent podcast.

'That's what the internet is currently saying. I mean who would hire a private firm to investigate a college football team and rat them out? It almost makes too much sense.'

Purdue head coach Ryan Walters said video evidence of Connor Stalions' whereabouts exists

The NCAA's investigation will likely stretch past the college football season, which ends January 8 with the national championship game in Houston.

With that in mind, ESPN's Pat McAfee took aim at the NCAA over the scandal.

Speaking on Saturday's College Game Day, McAfee said football fans would be 'excited to move on' from the scandal while adding that if Michigan did cheat, 'we know the NCAA will get 'em by 2030 or so.

Earlier Friday, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti met with Michigan President Santa Ono and athletic director Warde Manuel as the conference weighs whether to discipline the Wolverines' football program for the scouting and sign-stealing scheme. Big Ten spokeswoman Diane Dietz confirmed Petitti met with Ono and Warde, but provided no details.

Harbaugh, who served a three-game, university-imposed suspension earlier this season for an unrelated and still unresolved NCAA violations case tied to recruiting, has denied any knowledge or involvement in impermissible scouting of opponents.

Stalions' attorney, in a statement to The Athletic, said his client chose to resign because stories about him have created a distraction for the second-ranked Wolverines, who host Purdue on Saturday night and are among the favorites to reach the College Football Playoff.

Stalions (left) officially resigned at Michigan, but previous reports claimed he was fired  

He also absolved Harbaugh of any wrongdoing.

'Connor also wants to make clear that, to his knowledge, neither Coach [Jim] Harbaugh, nor any other coach or staff member, told anyone to break any rules or were aware of improper conduct regarding the recent allegations of advanced scouting,' attorney Brad Beckworth said.

Stalions said in a statement to The Athletic that he loved Michigan and was grateful for the opportunity to work with Harbaugh.

'I do not want to be a distraction from what I hope to be a championship run for the team, and I will continue to cheer them on,' Stalions said in his first public comments since the scandal broke two weeks ago.

A person with knowledge of the situation initially told AP that Stalions, who was suspended with pay, had been fired. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Michigan is not disclosing internal personnel moves publicly, also said Stalions failed to show up for a scheduled hearing Friday and informed the school through his attorney he would not participate in any internal or external investigations.

Stalions was listed as a recruiting analyst for Michigan and had a LinkedIn account that said he was hired by the football program in 2022. Stalions is a graduate of the Naval Academy.

Multiple Big Ten schools have reportedly found records of tickets purchased in Stalions' name to their games and surveillance video of the people sitting in those seats pointing cell phones toward the field. Photos on the internet suggest Stalions was on the Central Michigan sideline during the September 1 game against Michigan State, wearing CMU gear and sunglasses.

Central Michigan football coach Jim McElwain said after the Chippewas' game earlier this week Stalions' name was not on his team's pass list to have sideline access for the game. The Wolverines played and beat rival Michigan State 49-0 last month.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines congratulates J.J. McCarthy (left) 

Big Ten bylaws provide a path for the commissioner to act more swiftly in matters of sportsmanship and competitive integrity. Petitti met by video call with Big Ten coaches and athletic directors earlier this week. Coaches expressed anger and frustration and encouraged the conference take action against Michigan, two people with knowledge of those meetings said.

The ADs, not including Manuel, discussed possible punishments for Petitti to consider — mostly focusing on suspending Wolverines coaches, starting with Harbaugh —- but no decisions were made, according to one of the people. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because the Big Ten was not making public its internal discussions on the Michigan case.

Michigan (8-0) is heavily favored to beat Purdue. Next week, Michigan is at No. 11 Penn State, then at Maryland before the regular-season finale against rival No. 3 Ohio State on November 25. The games against Penn State and Ohio State will determine who represents the East Division in the Big Ten championship game December 2 in Indianapolis.

Petitti, who has been on the job since May after taking over when Kevin Warren left to run the Chicago Bears, indicated to the Big Ten coaches and ADs he might reconvene with them on Sunday if an update was necessary.