I spoke with two UM colleagues. Separate conversations. Perhaps notably, both have asked me to NOT contact them via their university emails or any other university-managed devices. (While both work broadly in the UM athletics space, neither works directly in the service of any single sport or program). To my ear, there was nothing new, major, or groundbreaking to share. They agree on the following points: 1. UM is not going to do ANYTHING until it receives a formal notice of allegations from a governing body. Not. A. Thing. And, why would they? 2. Santa Ono likes Harbaugh. Their families get along. His wife, Wendy, is a non-practicing attorney and is of the professional mindset that one does not launch a defense until one has been charged. These aren't stupid people. To the contrary, they are exceptionally smart people. Both UM colleagues made a point of noting, "Jim isn't dumb. He knows who butters his bread, and it's not Warde." Harbaugh's MO is to ingratiate himself with executive leadership before inevitably alienating these same once-advocates. Ono has barely been at UM for 15 months. He's not in any position to rock the boat, and would prefer that this matter "works itself out." 3. Warde Manuel is much more vulnerable at UM than is Harbaugh. Ono is closer to Harbaugh than Manuel. 4. The UM BOR is split. Well, not split - more like 5/3 favoring the Harbaugh narrative. However, they are unanimous in that nothing should be done internally unless or until a formal notice of allegations has been served. 5. The ongoing criminal investigation into Weiss provides coverage for the veil of silence from UM administration. They can rightfully claim silence as an appropriate course of inaction lest they risk hindering a criminal investigation. (Editorial: It seems contrived to me that one hand can claim the Weiss matter "unrelated" while the other hand puts it forth as justification for inaction and silence.) 6. The UM administration and, in particular, its lawyers would very much like for Harbaugh to sign a superseding agreement. The money doesn't really matter - especially if they have limited expectations of paying the contract's full term and value. In their minds, the most likely scenario is that the hammer drops either late next year or in 1Q 2025. At that time, they will have paid Harbaugh what amounts to his current contract value plus allowed him to recoup what he feels was lost in 21/22/23. It's effectively a neutral compensation proposition for this season and next season (if one contemplates the delta between approximately $11M next year and his current annual contract value as equivalent to the "below market value" under which he will have worked 21/22/23. 7. "Let's face it: We're going 7-5 next year. Have you looked at our schedule? No one will care if Harbaugh slinks away at the end of next year. This is THE year that everyone here cares about. We're fundraising like crazy. The NCAA isn't even the regulatory authority over the postseason and we're not making the playoffs in 24 or 25 anyway. So, hit us with a two-year bowl ban. Big deal. There is no real risk to just waiting it out. As long as Harbaugh denies and otherwise stays silent, everyone here would prefer to believe him because the alternative obligates us to take action."
Again, nothing new or particularly revelatory.
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