Pundits: NCAA Sanctions Against Harbaugh Are Preposterous

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Speaking on ESPN's "Get Up," Paul Finebaum ridiculed the four-year ban the NCAA imposed upon Jim Harbaugh on Aug. 7. Addressing the show's host, Mike Greenberg, Finebaum said the NCAA is "completely dysfunctional, ... vindictive, ... petty ... [and] laughable." Furthermore, he proclaimed that nobody respects or cares about the NCAA anymore.

Feckless NCAA Sanctions

Finebaum characterized the four-year ban as ridiculous because Harbaugh "is never coming back" to the college ranks. He expressed the view that Harbaugh bolted for the NFL to get away from NCAA sanctions and the NCAA's investigations.

"That's why he left. He left to get away from this posse," Finebaum said. "He watched and saw what Pete Carroll did at USC. Pete ran as fast as he could and left the mess to Lane Kiffin and [Steve] Sarkisian, ... and they're still trying to dig out from it."

Recruiting Violations, Sign-Stealing

Finebaum also stressed the NCAA's four-year ban of Harbaugh was "not for the serious stuff." The NCAA imposed the ban for recruiting violations that it determined Harbaugh committed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The more serious matter involved the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal.

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As for the recruiting violations, Finebaum opined, "Had Harbaugh said, 'Okay, I did it, you got me,' he may have been suspended for a game. Instead, he's been banned."

In Finebaum's view, because Harbaugh is not returning to college football, the ban is "absurd" and feckless. Greenberg agreed, stating, "There [are] so many parts of it that are absurd." He noted that certain aspects of the NCAA's findings of recruiting violations stemmed from Harbaugh "buying kids hamburgers."

Moreover, Greenberg emphasized Finebaum's larger point: This four-year ban is "irrelevant," because Harbaugh "isn't a college football coach anymore." He joked it would be like a company which he formerly worked for docking his pay now. In other words, the NCAA's ban on Harbaugh is toothless and inefficacious. Laughing, Greenberg said he is "embarrassed" for the NCAA.

Justice Delayed

The commentators noted that the NCAA takes action at a snail's pace. Stressing that the four-year ban is based on incidents several years back, they suggested that any sanctions based on the sign-stealing scandal are unlikely to come down until several years from now.