Despite NCAA sanctions, Michigan to honor Jim Harbaugh at 2024 home opener

Michigan is not deterred by the sanctions the NCAA placed on Jim Harbaugh this week.

Athletic director Warde Manuel told the 1 Star Recruits podcast this week that Harbaugh would be an honorary captain for the school's home opener against Fresno State. Harbaugh will be officially honored by Michigan less than a month after the NCAA gave him a one-year suspension and a four-year show-cause penalty for a lack of cooperation in an investigation into recruiting violations.

"I look forward to seeing him," Manuel told the podcast. "He'll be an honorary captain for our first game. I look forward to having him back in Ann Arbor for that game."

The penalties are, of course, a bit moot at the moment. Harbaugh is the coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. He took the job in January after leading Michigan to a 15-0 season and a national championship. It was the Wolverines’ first title in either the College Football Playoff or BCS era and the school’s first since a shared national title in 1997.

The season's success is obvious why Michigan wants to bring Harbaugh back. And he’s free that weekend since the NFL season begins a week later after the college football season does. It’ll also be the first home opener Harbaugh has attended in two seasons. He was unable to be at the home opener a season ago because of a three-game suspension Michigan self-imposed as part of the recruiting investigation.

The NCAA ruled that Harbaugh had lied to investigators about meeting with recruits during the COVID-19 dead period. The governing body and Michigan were working towards a four-game suspension for Harbaugh to start the 2023 season as a part of that investigation, but the deal fell apart before Michigan self-imposed the three-game ban. Harbaugh was then suspended for the final three games of the regular season by the Big Ten for the Connor Stalions’ advance scouting scandal.

The game is set to be the first for Michigan coach Sherrone Moore as the team’s permanent head coach. He served as an interim coach at various points during Harbaugh’s suspensions in 2023 and was promoted from offensive coordinator after Harbaugh left for the Chargers. Moore could end up with a suspension of his own from the NCAA at some point too. According to a draft notice of allegations obtained by the NCAA, Moore could be punished by the governing body as part of the sanctions for the Stalions scandal.