The sign-stealing scandal engulfing the Michigan Wolverines program first surfaced in a Yahoo Sports report on Oct. 19.
Yet Fox News reported Thursday that a Tennessee Volunteers fan actually discussed the scandal, and how it allegedly operated, in a post on a fan message board in December 2022.
The NCAA is investigating allegations that Michigan illegally scouted and recorded opposing sidelines during games in a bid to learn signals. The school has already suspended staffer Connor Stalions.
Many in the college football world have since said they suspected Michigan might be involved in something, but a Volunteers fan with the user name “ArniePalmerAlert” laid everything out in detail in a post Dec. 1, 2022 on the popular Tennessee fan site “Volquest.” According to Fox News, the post reads, “One of my little brother’s ‘friends’ is a ‘scout’ for them (Michigan). They paid for him to travel to the UT Vandy game (had planned it before the loss obviously) to try to steal our signs.
“He’s from Nashville originally so he just went anyway even after our loss since it was thanksgiving. Says he and the others are never allowed to talk to Harbaugh directly about it.”
Fox News reported the school confirmed Stalions purchased a ticket for the Tennessee-Kentucky game in 2022.
The anonymous “ArniePalmerAlert” poster followed up the initial post a month later with more details ahead of Michigan’s College Football Playoff loss to TCU. Yahoo Sports reported Thursday that TCU actually knew of Michigan’s scheme and used “dummy signals” to confuse the Wolverines.
“No clue if related but I posted on here a couple months ago about a mutual friend of mine that was working for Michigan, going to other school’s games and stealing plays,” the “Arnie” poster noted. “They’d pay his flights, lodging, food, and seats right behind that team’s bench for him to get video, notes, etc. Michigan is pulling out all the stops it seems.
“Can check my history to confirm if you want. Guy had tickets to our game at Vandy as they’d already paid for his stuff thinking they’d see us in the playoffs before we lost to South Carolina.”
It’s not hard to imagine the NCAA trying to find “ArniePalmerAlert” for more information and to learn his sources as the Michigan investigation progresses.
But Fox News summed up the Vols revelation with an hilarious rhetorical question: “How bad was Connor Stalions for a Tennessee site to find out?”
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.