Conference Suspends Harbaugh During Cheating Investigation

The Big Ten Conference barred Jim Harbaugh from coaching at the University of Michigan's three remaining regular-season games on Friday, defying a warning from the second-ranked Wolverines in an extraordinary confrontation over a suspected sign-stealing scheme that has rocked college football. Harbaugh was disciplined by the conference less than 24 hours before his team plays at No. 9 Penn State in Michigan's toughest matchup of the season so far. His team (9-0) has a shot to win a third straight Big Ten title and the school's first national championship since 1997, the AP reports. Michigan's plane landed in Pennsylvania shortly before the announcement. The school issued a statement ridiculing the decision.

"Today's action by Commissioner Tony Petitti disregards the conference's own handbook, violates basic tenets of due process, and sets an untenable precedent of assessing penalties before an investigation has been completed," the statement said. Harbaugh has denied knowledge of any improper scouting scheme in his program. Michigan warned earlier this week that it was prepared to take legal action if the conference punished the program before a full investigation; the NCAA and the Big Ten are both looking into the claims. Michigan said it will seek a court order, which would be difficult to obtain before Saturday's game.

The conference said Michigan must play without Harbaugh against the Nittany Lions this weekend, next week at Maryland, and in the annual showdown game against rival and No. 3 Ohio State two weeks from now. While Harbaugh is allowed at practices and other activities, he cannot be "present at the game venue." Such a battle between a conference and one of its most storied members is unheard of, per the AP. The dispute began three weeks ago and the allegations leaked day by day, with it becoming clear that Michigan does not want an undefeated season derailed by an unfinished investigation of activities that it says Harbaugh knew nothing about and are not unheard of across college football.

(More Michigan Wolverines stories.)