ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Jim Harbaugh won’t be an honorary captain at Michigan’s season opener after all. Plans for Harbaugh to return for the Wolverines’ Aug. 31 opener against Fresno State had been in the works for months, coach Sherrone Moore said Tuesday. Harbaugh called this week and said he wouldn’t be able to attend, citing his commitments with the Los Angeles Chargers. Harbaugh’s parents, Jack and Jackie, will serve as honorary captains in his place. “Yesterday he called me and told me he didn’t feel he could leave his team,” Moore said. “In true coach Harbaugh fashion, he wanted to be in the foxhole with his team and did not want to make it look like he was taking a deep, long bow.” Harbaugh’s decision came after a week of headlines involving Michigan’s ongoing issues with the NCAA. Harbaugh received a four-year show cause order and a one-season suspension in connection with recruiting violations that occurred during the COVID-19 dead period, though the penalty would only apply if he returned to college football.

The Wolverines also received a draft of the NCAA’s allegations in the case involving former staffer Connor Stalions, who allegedly coordinated a scheme to collect footage of opposing teams’ signals. Harbaugh was accused of not fully cooperating with the Stalions investigation because he didn’t produce emails and messages from a personal device. The allegations also included a Level II charge against Moore for allegedly deleting a string of text messages with Stalions shortly after news of the scandal broke in October. Moore, speaking to reporters at the midpoint of preseason camp, began his remarks by saying Michigan was “cooperating with the NCAA fully, have in the past, will in the future, and will continue to do that.” Asked about the text messages, he said, “I’ll just say this: I look forward to them being released.” Harbaugh left the Wolverines to coach the Chargers in January after leading Michigan to a 15-0 season and a CFP championship. Moore, the Wolverines offensive coordinator, was promoted to take his place. Harbaugh left a long list of NCAA allegations in his wake, but Moore described those allegations as a product of Michigan’s success rather than a reflection of the culture of the program. “When you’re at the bottom, they don’t respect you,” Moore said. “When you’re in the middle, they ignore you. When you’re at the top, they hate you. For us, we’re just going to keep rolling.”