Well, that was quick.
A day before a scheduled hearing where Michigan was seeking to acquire a temporary restraining order against the Big Ten's 3-game suspension of Jim Harbaugh, the school announced it has reached an agreement with the conference and there will be no hearing Friday.
Harbaugh has accepted the Big Ten's suspension, meaning he will miss Saturday's game at Maryland as well as the all-important showdown with Ohio State next Saturday.
Michigan's statement acknowledges the NCAA's investigation continues, although in accepting the suspension, Michigan got the Big Ten to agree to close its end of the investigation.
This morning, the University, Coach Harbaugh, and the Big Ten resolved their pending litigation. The Conference agreed to close its investigation, and the University and Coach Harbaugh agreed to accept the three-game suspension. Coach Harbaugh, with the University's support, decided to accept this sanction to return the focus to our student-athletes and their performance on the field. The Conference has confirmed that it is not aware of any information suggesting Coach Harbaugh's involvement in the allegations. The University continues to cooperate fully with the NCAA's investigation.
However, the Big Ten said Thursday it will continue working with the NCAA on its investigation and does not say anything about an agreement or settlement:
The Big Ten Conference’s commitment to student-athletes, sportsmanship and the Commissioner’s duty to protect the integrity of competition will never waver. Today’s decision by the University of Michigan to withdraw its legal challenge against the Conference’s November 10th Notice of Disciplinary Action is indicative of the high standards and values that the Conference and the University seek to uphold. The University of Michigan is a valued member of the Big Ten Conference and the Conference will continue to work cooperatively with the University and the NCAA during this process.
Michigan's acceptance of the suspension means Harbaugh will miss six of Michigan's 12 regular seasons due to two different investigations of possible rule breaking within the Wolverine football program.
Harbaugh missed Saturday's game at then-No. 10 Penn State, a 24-15 Michigan win.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.