Big Ten suspends Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh for season for policy violation

Harbaugh is banned from the "game scene" on game days, but can coach the team the rest of the week

Michigan Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh has been suspended by the Big Ten Conference for the remainder of the regular season due to the ongoing National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) investigation into a personal ring from the University of Michigan.

Harbaugh and the university on Friday sought a temporary injunction in Washtenaw County District Court and filed an emergency ex parte motion. If allowed, a judge could halt Harbaugh's suspension before hearing arguments from the Big Ten Conference and commissioner Tony Petitti.

A judge could rule on the injunction before the No. 3 Wolverines' critical road game against No. 10 Penn State (8-1) at noon Saturday.

According to ESPN, the Michigan plane landed in Pennsylvania on Friday afternoon, shortly before the suspension was announced.

A statement from the conference revealed that Michigan was found in violation of Big Ten athletic policy for "conducting an impermissible personal scouting operation over several years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that undermined the integrity of the competition."

Petitti announced Harbaugh's suspension in a 13-page letter to University of Michigan athletic director Ward Manuel.

According to Petitti, suspending Harbaugh would allow the team to play out the rest of the season while also having significant consequences for a team that violates Big Ten policies.

"This is not a sanction against Coach Harbaugh," the conference said in its release. "It is a sanction against the university that best fits the breach under the extraordinary circumstances presented by this offensive behavior."

Harbaugh's suspension prohibits him from entering the "game scene" on game days. However, the team can train for the rest of the week.