No longer by the day, the Michigan scandal into Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines' program's alleged sign-stealing operations continues to unfold with seemingly more damning evidence by the hour -- if not more frequently.
The latest? Wednesday evening, the Washington Post reported that an outside firm, undisclosed per the Post's sources and to coaches who have spoken to FootballScoop, had been tasked with the initial investigation into the allegations of Michigan's elaborate -- and, most importantly, illegal -- sign-stealing operation that has reportedly spanned a dozen members of the Big Ten, as well as potential Michigan opponents in other footprints of college football.
Michigan has suspended staffer Conner Stalions, at the center of the controversy, indefinitely with pay, as increasingly more evidence has emerged showcasing Stalions' prominently placed along the Michigan sidelines during games.
Per the Post:
"Among the pieces of evidence the firm presented, these people said, was a detailed schedule of Michigan's planned sign-stealing travel for the rest of this season, listing opponents' schedules, which games Michigan scouts would attend, and how much money was budgeted for travel and tickets to scout each team.
"The opponents targeted the most on the schedule, these people, were not surprising. Atop the list was Ohio State, Michigan's top rival in the Big Ten, and scouts planned to attend as many as eight games, costing more than $3,000 in travel and tickets. Next on the list was Kirby Smart's Georgia, a potential Michigan foe in the College Football Playoff."
The Post reporting indicated that plans to scout the two-time defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs were for nearly a half-dozen games and multiple thousands of dollars -- part of an overall alleged scheme, it said, that had some $15,000 in budgetary allotment.
Sources told FootballScoop this week that the Wolverines had scouted SEC foes, including Georgia and Tennessee, as potential College Football Playoff adversaries.
Moreover, a source with direct knowledge indicated to FootballScoop that Michigan may have attempted to assist the opposition of a potential CFP opponent in an effort to disrupt that team's potential path to the Playoff.
Additionally, the investigative firm has reportedly provided photographs and other evidence that link not only the alleged in-stadium perpetrators but also tie Michigan athletics department equipment -- computer hard drives in the football department -- to the evidence discovered from those so-called "scouts" who attended the games.
The Post indicated that evidence also has been uncovered that show multiple Michigan football assistants and staffers had access to the hard drives that allegedly contained the illicitly recorded video footage.
Though Harbaugh, the former Wolverines star quarterback whose top success at his alma mater has unfolded across the past three seasons, has denied any knowledge of the scheme and downplayed its potential significance, myriad reports this week have uncovered evidence -- photos, media videos and more -- that shows Stalions routinely placed in close proximity to Michigan full-time, on-field assistant coaches -- including coordinator-level staffers --- on the sidelines during games.
Per multiple sources this week who spoke to FootballScoop on condition of anonymity, investigators also have focused on trying to determine if Stalions -- forbidden per NCAA rules from wearing an official coaches' headset on the sidelines because he was not designated by the staff to do so, per NCAA requirements -- could potentially have had other means of communicating with Michigan staffers.