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Yahoo Sports: NCAA disciplines Central Michigan and 4 former coaches for Connor Stalions' presence on CMU sideline during game vs. Michigan State (paste) Posted on October 30, 2025 at 12:55:05 PM by BlueLurker
The NCAA has punished Central Michigan and four former staffers for the school’s role in Connor Stalions’ advance scouting scheme while working for Michigan.
According to the NCAA’s case summary, Stalions was confirmed to be on the sideline of the Chippewas’ Week 1 game against Michigan State in 2023. Stalions was wearing Central Michigan gear because he knew former quarterbacks coach Jake Kostner.
“Unbeknownst to Central Michigan, Jake Kostner, a former assistant football coach, had a preexisting relationship with Stalions,” the NCAA said. “Kostner formulated a plan for Stalions to be present on Central Michigan’s sideline during its Sept. 1, 2023, game against Michigan State to identify and decipher play-calling signals.
“Outside of typical procedures for item distribution, Kostner asked Nate Mason, former coordinator of athletic equipment operations, for coaching-issued gear. Kostner did not provide a reason for the request, and then coordinated with Mike McGee, former director of recruiting, to provide the official gear and bench pass access to Stalions, whom Kostner had provided an alias so as not to be detected, ahead of kickoff. McGee was unaware of whom exactly the gear was for, but knew it was for a friend of Kostner’s who was skilled in deciphering signals. During the game, Stalions stood in close proximity to McGee and other football staff. Given his staff’s direct involvement in the arrangement, Jim McElwain, former football head coach, is responsible for their violations under head coach responsibility legislation.”
As part of the punishments, CMU has been placed on two years' probation and fined $30,000. McElwain, Mason, and McGee all received two-year show-cause penalties and suspensions. Kostner received a four-year show-cause penalty and suspensions during the first two years of that penalty. You can read the entire notice of allegations here.
McElwain announced at the end of the 2024 season that he would retire. The former Florida and Colorado State coach spent six seasons with the Chippewas. He had maintained publicly that he was unaware Stalions was on the sideline. Kostner, a Michigan graduate, had resigned from his position earlier in the 2024 season.
Stalions led a wide-ranging scheme of advance scouting to decipher the signals of Michigan’s opponents. Though sign-stealing is a common practice and not prohibited by NCAA rules, in-person advance scouting is.
In August, the NCAA gave former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh a 10-year show-cause penalty on top of a four-year show-cause he had received for recruiting violations. Harbaugh, the current coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, was already unlikely to return to college football.
Current Michigan coach Sherrone Moore was given a two-year show-cause and recently dropped his appeal of the penalties. Stalions received an eight-year show-cause penalty that barred him “from all athletically related activities” during the entirety of the penalty.