Central Michigan is investigating whether or not alleged Michigan sign-stealer Connor Stalions was on its sideline in team gear for a game earlier this season vs. Michigan State.

Screengrabs from the Fox Sports 1 broadcast of the Spartans’ 31-7 win over Chippewas on Sept. 1 in East Lansing began circulating on social media late Monday. In the photos, a person who bears a strong resemblance to Stalions is standing on the sideline near the Central Michigan coaches wearing a CMU hat and pullover similar to those worn by team staff with a credential reading “VB” (for “visitors bench”) hanging from a lanyard around his neck.

The Michigan State-Central Michigan game took place on a Friday night. Michigan opened its 2023 season the following day vs. East Carolina in Ann Arbor, some 65 miles away from East Lansing.

CMU athletics director Amy Folan issued the following brief statement to several media outlets, including The Athletic and ESPN, on Tuesday:

“We became aware of these photos late Monday and are in the process of determining the facts surrounding them. As this process is ongoing, we have no further comment at this time.”

Stalions, a football analyst at Michigan, has been suspended since reports surfaced that he helped organize a well-funded, complex, multi-state operation to steal signals from future Wolverines opponents by sitting in the stands or gaining sideline access at games. According to multiple reports, Stalions — or representatives whose access he had arranged — would use smart phones to record video of team’s signals (which is against NCAA rules) in hopes of later deciphering them for use when they played Michigan.

Michigan has not played Central Michigan since 2013, but plays in-state and Big Ten rival Michigan State every season. The Wolverines beat the Spartans 49-0 on Oct. 21 in East Lansing.

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