Central Michigan faces fine, 2-year probation as NCAA closes out Stalions-MSU sideline case

While his name will never be forgotten in this state, the book on Connor Stalions and his impermissible scouting operation for Michigan football is, seemingly, closed. 

On Thursday, the NCAA Committee on Infractions released a 19-page negotiated resolution with Central Michigan regarding rules violations stemming from Stalions appearing on the Central Michigan football sideline for a game at Michigan State in 2023, hitting the university with a fine and probation and four former football staffers with show-cause orders. 

None of the penalties imposed by the NCAA directly affect the Central Michigan football program, which has a new coaching staff, on the field.

“We believe this Negotiated Resolution is in the best interest of the university, which ensures none of our current student-athletes are affected by the actions of former employees,” a statement from Central Michigan’s president and athletic director said. “We have also strengthened our internal policies and processes related to sideline access.

Then-assistant coach Jake Kostner received the stiffest penalty, a four-year show-cause that also requires he be suspended for 50% of football regular season contests during the second season of it. The others, then-head coach Jim McElwain and two support staffers, Nate Mason and Mike McGee, each got two-year show-cause orders and were suspended from 30% of football contests in the second season. 

McElwain retired from coaching at the end of the 2024 season.

Kostner’s violations are Level I. The others are Level I with mitigation, meaning the involved individuals or institutions exhibited some behavior in the investigation to lessen their punishment. 

Central Michigan itself got off with two years of probation and a $30,000 fine, plus 1% of the football program budget, which comes to around $100,000, according to The Detroit News.

Stalions himself got issued an eight-year show-cause order, which he is appealing. Recently, Michigan and head coach Sherrone Moore dropped appeals with the NCAA regarding the Stalions case. 

Central Michigan got repeatedly complemented in the negotiated resolution for its forthright cooperation in the investigation.

“Throughout the investigation, the institution modeled behaviors to merit exemplary cooperation,” the resolution said, in part. 

How Stalions got on the CMU sideline

The plan to have Stalions be on the CMU sideline for the Sept. 1, 2023, game at Michigan State came from Stalions and Kostner, according to the resolution. 

Kostner requested CMU athletic gear from Mason, a coordinator of athletic equipment operations, and got McGee, then a director of recruiting, to make a sideline pass for Stalions, according to the resolution. 

Kostner referred to Stalions under an alias, “Matt McClellan,” when communicating with McGee, according to a footnote in the resolution.

And Stalions purpose on that day was not to scout Michigan State for future use for the Michigan program, according to the resolution, but “so that Stalions could assist Central Michigan by identifying Michigan State’s play calling signals in-game.” 

Michigan State won, 31-7, against Central Michigan. 

Stalions left Spartan Stadium during the third quarter, according to the resolution.

And while he wasn’t directly involved, and seemingly unaware, per what is outlined in the resolution, then-head coach Jim McElwain bore responsibility for this breach of rules under the NCAA’s strict liability rules for head coaches. 

Institutional cooperation, individual stonewalling

As the NCAA investigated Central Michigan’s involvement with Stalions’ scheme, it noted repeatedly that the CMU administration and athletics staff worked consistently to be above board and provide ample information above and beyond what the investigators sought.

Specifically, CMU culled through film, photos and credentialing information to piece together what happened with the traveling party at Michigan State on Sept. 1, 2023, according to the resolution. The Chippewas also provided enforcement staff with a list of potential interviewees and notified the NCAA of a specific person on the facilities and event operations staff who “possessed relevant information that the enforcement staff would not have otherwise requested to interview.” 

“Central Michigan exceeded its responsibility to cooperate pursuant to Bylaw 19.2.1.1 throughout the investigation,” the negotiated resolution said.

Counter to that, Kostner, Mason and McGee all got cited for a “failure to cooperate.” 

Kostner gave false or misleading information in interviews and failed to provide “timely” access to his phone and messages discussing the plan to have Stalions on the sideline, according to the resolution.  

Kostner began cooperating in August 2024, the resolution said. 

Mason denied telling another staffer about the plan to have Stalions on the sideline, among other alleged violations, but eventually “acknowledged the factual record substantiates these violations occurred and his involvement in them.”

McGee also initially denied involvement, saying he hadn’t communicated with Stalions. He later provided cell phone records and in a November 2024 interview with enforcement staff acknowledged he delivered a bag with gear and a pass to Stalions, and also provided false and misleading statements. 

“The lack of candor by several members of the football staff during initial interviews and records requests significantly impacted the timeliness of the investigation and delayed resolution of this case,” the resolution said. 

Additional penalties, aftershocks

On top of the individual show-cause orders and the fine and probation for Central Michigan, the institution had to jump through a few hoops. 

Firstly, as part of being on probation for two years, ending on Oct. 30, 2027, the football program must inform recruits about the punishment. Recruits on official visits must be provided with information about the violations and punishment. 

The university also gets a public reprimand in the form of the resolution being publicly released, and was compelled to release the joint statement from president Neil MacKinnon and athletic director Amy Folan to outline the violations and CMU’s commitment to preventing future issues. CMU also has to submit plans to the NCAA for better compliance in the future and educating staff about the rules. 

Long term, the biggest problem the CMU administration has is restoring a damaged relationship with Michigan State. 

Michigan State’s former AD Alan Haller didn’t shy away from the possibility of canceling future games with the Chippewas and new AD J Batt didn’t shoot down the idea, either, pending results of the investigation. 

Michigan State is scheduled to host Central Michigan in football in 2027 and 2030. 

“We offer our sincere apologies to our neighbors, colleagues and friends at Michigan State University,” the Folan-MacKinnon statement reads. “The actions of our former staff members — both during the inciting incident and the NCAA investigation — were completely contrary to our institutional values. We deeply regret any negative impact this incident may have had on Michigan State.”

But whatever is to come between the Chippewas and Spartans going forward, this chapter in their history, even if completed, is not going to be readily forgotten.