Big Ten schools obviously uniting to topple Michigan as sign stealing scandal grows

The Michigan sign-stealing scandal is looking worse and worse for Jim Harbaugh and company as more information comes out.

On Monday, Pete Thamel and Mark Schlabach of ESPN dropped a report with a few major pieces of information about the allegations against the Wolverines.

First, the now-suspended Michigan staffer, Connor Stalions, "purchased tickets in his own name for more than 30 games over the past three years at 11 different Big Ten schools."

Second, the NCAA is expected to receive "video evidence of electronics prohibited by NCAA to steal signs."

Third, there is a "significant paper trail" and, fourth, Stalions forwarded tickets he purchased to others, which "hints at the breadth of the operation."

Those are all giant problems for Michigan as they face an NCAA investigation. And something else in that report makes it very clear that the rest of the Big Ten is more than willing to bury them.

All of that information came from "sources at 11 different league schools."

Big Ten schools are united to take down Michigan over sign stealing

There are 13 schools in the Big Ten not counting Michigan. All but two appear to be contributing to the NCAA's case against the Wolverines.

It certainly does look like there's a case against Michigan.

Stealing signs during games is permitted under NCAA and Big Ten rules. What you see in a stadium during a game is fair game. However, Michigan is accused of breaking rules about in-person scouting at opposing stadiums.

According to the allegations, Stalions purchased tickets for games involving future Michigan opponents and sat in specific areas of the stadium to get a view of the sideline. For instance, he allegedly had tickets to Saturday's Penn State vs. Ohio State game, though those tickets were not used after the scandal broke. The Wolverines play the Nittany Lions on Nov. 11 and the Buckeyes on Nov. 25.

Michigan is now also in trouble over allegedly recording signs on video. That's prohibited under NCAA rules as well. A person attending a Big Ten game with a ticket purchased by Stalions was allegedly caught on stadium security video using their phone to record the sideline.

So Michigan has at least 11 rival schools checking their ticket records and stadium security video to pile up the evidence against the Wolverines. Which means this is all heading in one pretty obvious direction.