Sherrone Moore didn’t hesitate to address the ongoing NCAA investigation during his first media appearance since ESPN obtained a draft memo of the NCAA’s notice of allegations against Michigan football.
“I know there’s some questions regarding the whole NCAA investigation and things, and really the statement is, we’re cooperating with the NCAA fully,” Moore stated in his opening remarks. “(We) have in the past, will in the future, and we’ll continue to do that. Right now, it’s an ongoing case, and we need to preserve the confidentiality of the proceedings.”
The investigation revolves around accusations that seven Michigan coaches, including Moore, committed Level I or Level II Violations, involving recruiting misconduct and connections to former recruitment analyst Conor Stalions and his sign-stealing scandal.
While Moore largely stuck to his initial statement when later asked about the investigation, he did make one notable comment regarding the allegations against him personally.
“I’ll just say this, that I look forward to (the text messages) being released, and that’s it,” Moore said.
He was referring to a deleted thread of 52 text messages between himself and Stalions, which the NCAA later recovered through device imaging. Moore allegedly deleted the thread on the same day reports of Stalions’ scheme surfaced in October 2023.
Beyond this, Moore refrained from adding much else and declined to comment when asked if he regretted how he handled the text message situation. Despite the ongoing allegations, Moore expressed confidence in Michigan’s culture.
“When you’re at the bottom, they don’t respect you,” Moore said when asked if he felt any need to change the culture. “When you’re in the middle, they ignore you, and when you’re at the top, they hate you. So for us, we’re just going to keep rolling.”
With Michigan coming off a national championship, the focus on the program’s scandals has intensified, especially with multiple investigations underway. As the new season approaches, it’s Moore’s responsibility to ensure these distractions don’t affect the Wolverines’ performance on the field.
“(We) feel great,” Moore said when asked about the program’s national perception. “We’re excited about game one. We’re excited about the next day, and yeah, can’t really control what people say about us, so we’re just gonna keep rolling.”
As the investigations continue, Michigan will aim to stay focused, ensuring that off-field issues don’t impact their on-field success. While Moore may anticipate the release of his texts with Stalions, he’s determined to keep the allegations as background noise for now.
