Michigan compliance is investigating the possibility that some U-M players illegally sold shoes for profit, but head coach Jim Harbaugh said he didn’t anticipate anyone would miss games because of it.
According to a report by ESPN.com, North Carolina — which recently suspended 13 of its football players after they committed NCAA violations by reselling Air Jordan shoes given to them by the school — reached out to California, Marquette and Michigan (all of which sport the Jordan Brand), who may have also seen its respective players sell shoes to the same retailer.
The report states that the retailer told North Carolina it had bought shoes from the three aforementioned programs as well, and spokespeople from all three universities have confirmed they are looking into the ordeal.
ESPN had the shoe-marketplace site "StockX" take a look back at its approximately 17,000 shoes sold to figure out the number of player exclusives, along with the average price of each. It found that Michigan had the most with 23 pairs, while also having the highest average price per pair, at $4,671.
U-M football spokesperson Dave Ablauf explained that the number of sales tracked by StockX doesn't necessarily mean the U-M players sold the shoes. Ablauf noted that executives, celebrities and Nike's Michigan endorsers in the pros receive the shoes, while the University may have also donated some to charity.
U-M football players have signed a form that iterates how selling the shoes could put their eligibility at risk.
“Our compliance has investigated that,” Harbaugh said. “I think there were a couple of shoes that were [size] 14s out there. We’ve gone through everybody that’s currently on the roster and accounted for those pairs of shoes. The latest one I saw was a 52 number. Nobody currently on the roster that had that number last year.
Asked if he thought anyone would miss time because of it, Harbaugh responded, “no.”
“I’m not in on every person, I don’t know every singe case, but if somebody sold their shoes, they’re going to be ineligible,” Harbaugh said. “That point’s been hammered home ad nauseum, explained to the players. They understand, and hopefully they’ve done the right thing.
“I think the general public … reads these articles and they just assume it’s a pair of shoes, Michigan shoes, so it must be some player on the current roster. Remember, there were players on the roster last year in the number of 40 that have graduated from college … and coaches, too. We had two coaches that had size 14 shoes that aren’t there anymore.”
Harbaugh warned not to assume it was somebody currently on the roster.
“Hopefully, guys on the roster that have college eligibility understand the consequences, and I know that they’ve been briefed on them,” he said. “Guys are pretty smart. If they aren’t and somebody did sell those shoes, it’s going to result in missed games.”
Harbaugh said he didn’t know when the investigation would wrap up.
More of TheWolverine's Coverage of Fall Camp:
• Video: Wolverine Players Give an Update on Fall Camp
• Jim Harbaugh Identifies Camp Standouts
• Harbaugh Doesn't Anticipate Suspensions From Shoe Sales
• Video: Harbaugh Talks Camp Standouts, More
• Practice Observer — 'Quarterback Play Will be a lot Better'
• Players Provide Tidbits at Friday Night Presser
• Bredeson — 'Warinner has Simplified Everything for us'
• Video: Gary, Bush, Gentry and Bredeson Talk Fall Camp
• Eddie McDoom Transferring From U-M
• Practice Report: 'Phenomenal Change' on Offensive Line
• News and Views: Jay Harbaugh on the Progress of the RBs
• Don Brown Identifies Early Practice Standouts
• Video: Don Brown, Jay Harbaugh Talk Start of Fall Camp
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