We could be less than 24 hours from the Big Ten slapping a punishment on Michigan football (most likely Jim Harbaugh specifically), which Michigan would likely answer with a lawsuit aimed at getting a temporary restraining order to delay or erase such punishment.
All while Michigan plays No. 11 Penn State on Saturday (noon ET, Fox) in one of its two challenging games this season.
And while we wait, a group of Michigan lawmakers wrote a letter to Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti begging him not to punish the Wolverines until the conclusion of the NCAA investigation.
The letter was written by a bipartisan, bicameral group of 11 lawmakers, representing both parties and both the House and Senate.
As members of the Michigan legislature, we write to you today to urge you to act prudently and refrain from taking any premature measures against one of our state universities, including their athletic program, football team or coaching staff. These individuals are our constituents, and we feel the need to ensure they are treated fairly.
In the legislature, we pass laws to ensure every citizen and organization in Michigan is guaranteed their rights to due process under the law. These principles of justice should also be followed by the Big Ten Conference. Allegations of misconduct against conference members from the State of Michigan should be taken seriously, but accusations, especially those made by interested parties, must be met with thoughtful and thorough investigations based on fairness for all of those involved. We all know the passion surrounding college athletics, not only in our state, but around the
country. With social media speculation and public rumors running wild, it is important that any investigation and determination is based on carefully considered facts. The University of Michigan and its football program, like all of our collegiate athletic programs, is entitled to an impartial and deliberate process that takes into account all evidence, allows for opportunities for the accused to refute allegations, and comes to conclusions based on the whole truth.
It is essential that the Big Ten Conference not take any disciplinary action against the University of Michigan until the final results of its own or, more appropriately, the NCAA investigation are officially announced. Should those results demonstrate misconduct, an appropriate punishment should be imposed. In the meantime, the players and coaches should be free to continue to participate in the game that they love without being punished with premature or unsubstantiated sanctions.
Should you, as the Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, rush to judgement or engage in any ill-considered actions, we will vigorously support our public universities in their efforts to compel fairness and due process.
We appreciate your attention to this letter, and hope it serves as a buttress to your commitment to fair treatment for all of those who participate in college athletics.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.