'That did not happen'; Ryan Day denies Ohio State sent Michigan signs to Purdue

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — The NCAA sign-stealing saga continues with Ryan Day denying reports that Ohio State shared Michigan play signals with Purdue last season.

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg and Tom VanHaaren reported sources saying Michigan gave the Big Ten documents that the school says show the Buckeyes, Rutgers, and Purdue shared some of Michigan's signals in 2022. The Athletic also published a report of the allegations.

“Nobody here did any of that,” Day said when asked by reporters. “We went through and made sure we went and, you know, asked all of the questions and got our compliance people involved. None of that came back at all, so I can answer very strongly that that did not happen.”

Day declined attempts for more comments on that matter.

The Associated Press previously reported a former employee at a Big Ten football program said it was his job to steal signs and that he was given details from multiple conference schools before his team played Michigan.

The employee and the team he worked for were not reported.

According to the Associated Press, passed along screenshots of text-message exchanges with staffers from a handful of Big Ten football teams with Michigan, giving the program proof that other conference teams were colluding to steal signs from Michigan.

The NCAA doesn't outlaw sign-stealing, but it has rules against in-person scouting and using electronic equipment to steal signs. Harbaugh has denied any knowledge of the scheme, and the school says it is cooperating with the NCAA.

Michigan warned Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti the conference can't take action if a formal decision has not been made about whether rules were violated.

The school also says it would not be fair to discipline the program in part because it provided the Big Ten with evidence suggesting other conference schools were stealing signs and sharing them with one another, the Associated Press said in a report published Wednesday.