Michigan fires Connor Stalions as Big Ten gears up to punish Jim Harbaugh

Connor Stalions, the most famous analyst in college football, is no longer employed by Michigan football.

In an unsurprising Friday news dump, Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports reported that the Wolverines fired Stalions. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg added details that "Stalions did not attend a meeting with Michigan officials today, possibly on advice of his counsel."

Michigan suspended Stalions on Oct. 20, shortly after the sign-stealing scandal broke.

Stalions reportedly purchased dozens of tickets to games featuring future Michigan opponents. In-person scouting at opposing stadiums is illegal under NCAA rules. He also allegedly contracted a network of spies to record the sidelines of games he didn't attend in a scheme to steal signals. It is illegal under NCAA rules to record an opposing teams' signs.

Considering the mountain of evidence against him, it was only a matter of time before Michigan terminated his employment. The bigger question is what happens to people higher up the food chain at Michigan.

Connor Stalions' firing was inevitable and won't save Michigan from Big Ten punishment

This all comes on the back of a busy couple of days for Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, who has to decide if the conference will punish Michigan before the end of the season.

Petitti met with Big Ten coaches and athletic directors in separate meetings, including a Friday update. He also met in person with Michigan president Santa Ono on Friday in Ann Arbor.

According to Pete Thamel, there is a realistic possibility the Big Ten rules on a suspension for Jim Harbaugh, though not before the Purdue game on Saturday.

"The Big Ten — including by engaging with the NCAA this week, which is a huge step — is showing signs that there will be some type of action against Michigan," Thamel said.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines have reportedly opened their own investigation into a connection between Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and the alleged whistleblowers.