The NCAA unveiled its series of punishments for Michigan in response to the Wolverine's sign-stealing scandal in 2023. A hefty fine of roughly $20 million hit the program with additional, multi-year show-cause penalties placed on Jim Harbaugh, Connor Stalions, and current head coach Sherrone Moore.
Moore will serve a three-game suspension over the next two seasons, but will not be restricted from coaching during his two-year show-cause period otherwise. The two games Moore is suspended from right now are against Nebraska and Central Michigan in the 2025 season. These were self-imposed suspensions from the university. The additional suspension imposed by the NCAA will not allow him to coach against the first game of the 2026 season against Western Michigan.
While Penn State football isn't directly impacted from these specific sanctions, the Nittany Lions might benefit from an additional punishment regarding recruitment.
NCAA imposes recruitment sanctions in response to Michigan's 2023 sign-stealing scandal
The Wolverines are on probation until April 9, 2027. During this time over a 14-week period, they will be prohibited from contacting student-athletes. In addition, the NCAA sanctioned a 25 percent reduction in official football visits during the 2025-26 season.
Michigan already won a class of 2027 quarterback recruitment battle over Massachusetts native Peter Bourque. During the 14-week period where the Wolverines cannot contact recruits, it might be the perfect time for head coach James Franklin to crackdown on trying to flip Bourque's decision, especially if Penn State's quarterback situation is still lacking.
Keegan Croucher is another quarterback that received offers from both teams. Currently, the Wolverines aren't high up on his list, but that doesn't mean Franklin should rule them out completely. The Nittany Lions are in a better position than trying to flip a recruit, especially when taking a Big Ten team out of the mix for 14 weeks.
For the sake of Franklin's poor quarterback turnout in class of 2026 and 2027 recruitment, getting official visits scheduled with passers should be a priority. While all of his energy should not be put into Michigan commits and prospects exclusively, it would be an unfortunate miss to not have some of them on his radar during the 14-week period and in the 2025-26 season.
Eliminating a Big Ten rival in recruitment battles for that amount of time, in general, is going to give the Nittany Lions a boost. While other schools will indubitably be doing the same, Penn State can't fall behind and slip through the cracks if it plans on rallying a strong class of 2027 and onward. Yes, he'll still have Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame, and SEC powerhouses to worry about, but removing one high-end school is better than none.
Penn State is scheduled to face Michigan during 2026 and 2027 regular seasons
As a result of the recruitment sanctions and other fines that could impact scholarships, the facilities, etc., the Wolverines might experience setbacks in terms of roster talent and strength. After 2025-26, the Nittany Lions won't have the amount of experience they were blessed with this season. Facing a penalized Michigan team in 2026 and 2027 might give Penn State a little room to breathe.
If the Wolverine's roster weakens enough, the Nittany Lions might not face any top ranked teams in 2026 (or they'll face a low-ranked Michigan team). While this isn't ideal when it comes to the College Football Playoff committee, the schedule can be good in terms of transitioning away from the 2025 roster and instate consistency.
In this scenario, Penn State can head into 2027 where it meets Illinois, Indiana, and Oregon on the road without panic. It also meets the Wolverines again. As of now, they're the Nittany Lions strongest home game opponent. If the sanctions impact the Michigan roster enough, they might be looking at a clean sweep at Beaver Stadium.