LAS VEGAS — Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore has one focus at this time of year: Get his football team ready for its season opener on Aug. 30 against New Mexico (7:30, NBC).
That means there’s no time to worry about the looming NCAA penalties expected to be delivered later this summer, after U-M brass – including Moore, athletic director Warde Manuel and university counsel – met with the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions last month in regards to the sign-stealing scandal that has hung over the program since 2023.
While speaking at Big Ten football media days on Thursday, July 24, Moore said it’s easy to stay focused on the task at hand.
“Obviously can’t talk about that, but it’s not hard,” Moore said at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. “You’re just so excited about what’s going on in the program and the team. Our players just don’t get distracted by all that, our coaches don’t get distracted by all that.
“You can’t worry about stuff you can’t control,” Moore said. “All we’re going to do is worry about what we can control and go play.”
Earlier in the week, news broke that Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti wrote a letter to the NCAA seemingly backing the Wolverines and suggesting the governing body not punish them any further after the league suspended then-coach Jim Harbaugh three games at the end of the 2023 regular season.
When asked about it, Moore gave a “no comment,” saying he’d rather focus on his team and upcoming fall camp.
Moore has been handed a two-game suspension by U-M − currently set for Week 3 and 4 games vs. Central Michigan and at Nebraska − but there’s a chance that could be expanded with an NCAA penalty, given that he will likely be classified as a “repeat violator” after having been suspended Week 1 of 2023 for his role in recruiting violations in a separate NCAA investigation.
While it undoubtedly looms over the program, Moore said he won’t spend any time thinking about it. Asked if he had a plan in place in case the suspension is expanded, he said yes. And that is?
“We’ll wait to see if that happens,” Moore said.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football: Sherrone Moore on suspension: ‘See if that happens’