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premierdrum 24 minutes ago 

New information on the genesis of this investigation, as well as specific information from the NOA. 

This entire investigation - both the computer access crimes and the impermissible advanced scouting scheme - began with "unprofessional and inappropriate conduct" by Matt Weiss inside the football facility. Based on witnessed behavior, Weiss' university-owned devices were seized and he was put on leave.

University IT brought in a cybersecurity firm to gain access to Weiss' encrypted devices.

Objectionable content discovered falls into two categories:

- Sexual content: including content stolen from the iClouds of UM students as well as pornographic images of unknown origins.

- Football content: Evidence of an advanced video scouting scheme, video recordings of opponents' sidelines, mockups of opponents playsheets, and a spreadsheet schedule of games to be scouted, including assignments and logistics details. 

Each of these two "buckets" of content were referred to separate legal firms at the behest of UM to determine next steps. 

At some point, a third firm became involved and obtained much of the same advanced scouting scheme evidence as discovered by the UM-contracted firm, but also went on to "close the loop" with irrefutable evidence of tickets being purchased, assignments made, games filmed, video materials prepared and uploaded, and ultimately the scouting videos and ancillary materials being accessed by UM coaches. This group is the one that sent investigators into games knowingly being scouted to gather video evidence of the UM operatives. This firm notified the NCAA of its findings.

I had wrongly believed that this firm was another that had been contracted by UM administration to look into overarching cultural issues within the athletics department, but that has since been ruled out. The prevailing belief among my sourcing is that this investigation was contracted by sports books who ultimately had help by someone on UM's staff. 

This specific loop is laid out step-by-step in the NOA: /game scheduled/ > /tickets purchased and assigned/ >/ game scouted, operatives photographed at venue by investigators/ > /video scouting and game materials prepared and uploaded/ > /video materials accessed by multiple members of UM coaching staff/.

This outline is designed to counter the defenses brought to the table by both the university and individuals charged.

The NOA also alleges that UM knew of the advanced scouting scheme as first uncovered by university IT and the cybersecurity firm they hired to get into Weiss' devices. Despite this awareness UM administration did not notify the NCAA, nor did they make any necessary personnel changes "to uphold their responsibility of integrity to the Big Ten conference and the NCAA" (quoting a source's paraphrasing here, for clarity's sake). 

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Michigan AD Warde Manuel to The Michigan Insider about how the university is approaching the NCAA cases:

"We're going to fight when we need to fight. ... But we have a responsibility to adhere to rules that we agreed to participate in."
— Alejandro Ziga (@ByAZuniga) August 28, 2024

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