CMU's McElwain denies granting access to UM's Stalions

Central Michigan head coach Jim McElwain says he's aware of photos purporting to show Michigan staff member Connor Stalions, the figure at the centre of the Wolverines' sign-stealing investigation, on the Chippewas sideline during the team's game against Michigan State on Sept. 1, but insists that he wasn't credentialed.

McElwain spoke after his team's 37-31 win over Northern Illinois on Tuesday night.

“We’re obviously aware of a picture floating around with the sign-stealer guy,” McElwain said. “Our people are doing everything they can to get to the bottom of it. We were totally unaware of it, we certainly don’t condone it in any way, shape or form."

The purported photos of Stalions show a man in Chippewas gear alongside the coaching staff on the team sideline.

"I do know his name was on none of the [credentialed] passes that was let out," McElwain said. "We just keep tracing it back and tracing it back and try to figure it out, but it's in good hands with our people and, again, there's no place in football for that."

McElwain served as Wolverines wide receivers coach under Jim Harbaugh in 2018 before taking the CMU job the following season.

Central Michigan athletic director Amy Folan told ESPN on Tuesday that the school had opened an investigation after becoming aware of the photos on Monday.

"We are in the process of determining the facts surrounding them," Folan said in a statement. "As this process is ongoing, we have no further comment at this time."

Stalions has been suspended without pay by the Wolverines as of Oct. 17 as the Big Ten and NCAA look into allegations of a sign-stealing operation by the program.