Is Jim Harbaugh going to be at Michigan football's game today? Explaining why former coach won't be in attendance

For the first time in nearly a decade, Michigan football will embark on a new chapter in its rich history program as Sherrone Moore takes over manning the sidelines in 2024.

But before the Wolverines fully kick off the Moore era in Ann Arbor, the reigning national championships will once again honor the national championship team from last season in front of fans at Michigan Stadium on Saturday before the season opener vs. Fresno State.

It is a moment that was supposed to include former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, a quote-on-quote proper sendoff for Harbaugh, who took the Los Angeles Chargers job over the offseason after nine seasons at Michigan — that is until it no longer is.

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Why? Here's what you need to know on why Harbaugh will not be inside Michigan Stadium on Saturday for the Wolverines' home opener vs. Fresno State:

Is Jim Harbaugh at Michigan football's game today vs. Fresno State?

No. The former Michigan head coach, who was supposed to return for the Wolverines' home opener as the team's honorary captain, will not be in attendance vs. Fresno State after all.

Harbaugh backed out of his invitation — which the Free Press previously reported was Harbaugh's decision and not the university's — on Aug. 13, a few days after the NCAA released its findings and penalties handed on the Michigan program from its investigation into a recruiting violation during the COVID-19 dead period in 2021 under Harbaugh.

Additionally, the decision to bring Harbaugh back to Ann Harbor and serve as the Wolverines' honorary coach received both backlash and pushback from those within college football given the results of the NCAA's investigations, which gave Harbaugh a one-year suspension (if he chooses to return to college) and four-year show-cause order.

"Yesterday he called me and told me he didn't feel he could leave his team in true coach Harbaugh fashion and wanted to be in the foxhole with his team, not make it look like he taking a deep long bow," Moore said at a news conference on Aug. 13.

"So he's not going to make it for the game, but we will have some of our (former players) guys who will be there and Jack and Jackie Harbaugh are going to take his place, so super excited about that."

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Jim Harbaugh Michigan record

• Overall: 89-25
• Big Ten record: 60-17
• Bowl games: 3-6

Here's a year-by-year breakdown of how Michigan fared under Harbaugh:

Bowl game result in parentheses

• 2015: 10-3 (Citrus Bowl — Win)
• 2016: 10-3 (Orange Bowl — Loss)
• 2017: 8-4 (Outback Bowl — Loss)
• 2018: 10-3 (Peach Bowl — Loss)
• 2019: 9-4 (Citrus Bowl — Loss)
• 2020: 2-4
• 2021: 12-2 (Orange Bowl — Loss)
• 2022: 13-1 (Fiesta Bowl — Loss)
• 2023: 15-0 (Rose Bowl — Won; CFP National Championship — Won)

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Is Jim Harbaugh going to be at Michigan football's game today? Explaining why former coach won't be in attendance