Joel Klatt claims NCAA "has zero teeth" following $30 million Michigan sign-stealing penalty

The Michigan Wolverines have once again grabbed the national headlines as the NCAA finally handed down its long-awaited penalties for the 2023 sign-stealing scandal.

Nearly two years after the controversy first shook the college football world, the punishment had proven costly, stripping Michigan of 10% of its program budget, a staggering $10 million hit. Additionally, the Wolverines will be cut out of revenue sharing for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, costing the powerhouse another $20 million. Upon hearing the NCAA's decision, Fox analyst Joel Klatt could not stop himself from commenting on his podcast.

He said (from 19:52 to 20:16):

"You don't even have to tell me what the penalties are for me to immediately roll my eyes and think to myself, 'The NCAA has zero teeth because it's too late.' They have so much red tape. They are completely inept at governing college football. That being said, they do still have a role or at least they think they do."

Along with suffering financially, the NCAA levied an eight-year show-cause penalty for Connor Stallions, a ten-year show-cause penalty for Jim Harbaugh, and a three-game suspension for current HC Sherrone Moore.

Urban Meyer speaks out about the Michigan Wolverines' penalty

The former Florida Gators coach, Urban Meyer, spoke out about the Michigan Wolverines' sign-stealing scandal and the penalty that was levied on them by the NCAA. The 61-year-old coach believed that the NCAA should have only targeted the coaches. He said on "The Triple Option" podcast (from 12:22 to 12:34):

“What the NCAA did is not the answer. I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I think coaches, financially, when they sign a contract, there’s gotta be — they gotta take the financial hit. Not the university.”

The current head coach, Sherrone Moore, will miss two games (Weeks 3 and 4) this season. Along with that, he will also serve a one-game suspension in the 2026 season. On3 also noted that there's no clarity on whether the penalties will pact coaching salaries, as the fines are expected to be covered by future postseason revenue.