Michigan State Spartans student section hold up signs after sign stealing reports the Michigan Wolverines have surfaced at Spartan Stadium on October 21, 2023 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The alleged Michigan Spygate Mastermind Connor Stalions told his side of the story to Netflix which airs today. Stalions is accused of organizing an elaborate sign stealing operation with on site filming of future opponent's signals at numerous college football stadiums across the country. Doing such would be a violation of NCAA rules and Michigan football is currently embroiled in an NCAA investigation on the matter.
In the Netflix Untold series they are currently airing a documentary on this topic called Sign Stealer. In it Stalions said he never attended other games to steal signs. He says he was good at taking them from TV game film and talking to other sources. Doing so is legal according to NCAA rules.
ALLEGED MICHIGAN SPYGATE MASTERMIND
But numerous stadiums have records of Stalions purchasing game tickets in his name. He says he did purchase tickets and gave them to friends but never attended himself. He also says a few of his friends sent him video of teams as a way to help out. But Stalions says he never used the video.
At one point on the Netflix special, Stalions' attorney suggests his client may have been a victim of identity theft and that investigators should look in the direction of Ohio State for some sort of set up. There was a rumor last fall that Ohio State may have been behind a leak that exposed the SpyGate operation but that was never founded. Stalions does point out he thinks his computer was hacked because a spreadsheet he never sent to anybody was leaked to the media and he noted a particular journalist at the Washington Post used to go to school with Buckeyes coach Ryan Day.
Michigan Spygate Mastermind talks to Netflix but left something out: One curious omission from the Netflix special is that the documentary never mentioned whether anyone else at Michigan was involved with Stalions' sign stealing. Perhaps he did not or was not allowed to answer those questions.
For more on Michigan football and Spygate tune in each weekday to Craig Shemon and Company on ESPN Southwest Florida from 2-6.
