NCAA imposes 10-year "show cause" order on Jim Harbaugh

As it relates to college football, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh will be attacking no days with an enthusiasm known to mankind. At least for a decade.

The NCAA has imposed a 10-year “show cause” order on Harbaugh as part of the final punishment issued in connection with the Connor Stalions advance scouting scandal. This means that any NCAA program that hires Harbaugh would have to show cause as to why it should not be sanctioned.

This also means that Harbaugh, 61, will likely not be coaching at the college level again. (Unless he follows the Bill Belichick path in his 70s.)

From the NCAA announcement: “Harbaugh did not embrace or enforce a culture of compliance during his tenure, and his program had a contentious relationship with Michigan’s compliance office, leading coaches and staff to disregard NCAA rules.”

The NCAA opted not to impose a two-year postseason ban on Michigan, explaining that this “would unfairly penalize student-athletes for the actions of coaches and staff who are no longer associated with the Michigan football program.” (It also would have kept a viable contender out of the playoff pool.) Instead, the NCAA imposed financial penalties and recruiting limitations.

The next question is whether the NFL will do anything about the punishment imposed on Harbaugh. In 2023, the league-owned media outlet pointed out that bolting for pro football might not be a “safe harbor” for Harbaugh.

In the past, the NFL has taken action against both a player (Terrelle Pryor) and a coach (Jim Tressel) who had run afoul of NCAA rules. From the October 2023 NFL.com article, “And the point was made: No one should escape discipline by leaving college for the pros.”

We’ve asked the league for comment on the NCAA’s Harbaugh sanction, and on whether he has indeed escaped discipline by leaving college for the pros. Given the precedent and the severity of the current punishment, it’s more than fair to ask the question — and it’s more than appropriate for the NFL to answer it.

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