On Monday night, Michigan football will aim to capture just its second national championship since the 1948 season, and first since 1997, when it takes on Washington in the College Football Playoff title game in Houston.

It will mark the end of a 2023 season that has been as turbulent as it has been successful.

The Wolverines have been the dominant story of the 2023 season, both because of their on-field dominance and their alleged off-field misdeeds. As coach Jim Harbaugh and his team embarked on an undefeated regular season and their third-consecutive Big Ten championship, they were often the subject of unsavory headlines.

Much of that has revolved around an ongoing NCAA investigation into alleged in-person scouting and stealing signs. Since the story broke on Oct. 19, it has taken no shortage of twists and turns since, all of which has captivated much of the college football world.

Even as the Wolverines have continued to win and inch closer to their dream of a national title, the effects of the sign-stealing scandal have lurked. For several games, they were without Harbaugh, who was suspended. While he was gone and even once he returned, the scandal has been referenced repeatedly by players and coaches — not specifically, but as “adversity” the team has endured and continues to face.

How did Michigan get to this point? How did an already memorable season become something slightly more chaotic? Here’s everything you need to know about the Michigan sign-stealing scandal:

Michigan sign-stealing scandal, explained

While Michigan’s ongoing headaches have often been framed around sign-stealing, the program is being investigated over allegedly violating NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1, which prohibits member institutions from off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents.

According to various allegations, Michigan staffers or those working on behalf of them attended games of upcoming Wolverines opponents and filmed the sideline during the game to record the hand signals used by coaches. Though sign-stealing itself is widely practiced across college football and is not technically in violation of NCAA rules, using technology to scout opponents in person is.

At the center of the scandal is Connor Stalions, a former off-field analyst for Michigan who has since resigned. Stalions reportedly purchased tickets to more than 35 games at 17 stadiums across the country to scout upcoming opponents on the Wolverines’ schedule. Twelve different Big Ten schools confirmed that Stalions bought tickets to their games under his own name. Stalions’ operation appeared to spread beyond just Michigan’s conference, as he reportedly purchased tickets to games in 2022 involving Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Oregon, all of which could have been potential foes for the Wolverines in the College Football Playoff.

The NCAA’s involvement in the matter reportedly began when an outside firm approached college sports’ governing body with computer drives containing evidence of illicit scouting that were accessed and maintained by multiple Michigan coaches.

Harbaugh has denied knowledge of any of the alleged sign-stealing, noting in a statement that “my instructions and awareness of how we scout opponents have always been firmly within the rules.” Though it’s unclear exactly how much the Wolverines have benefitted from knowing their opponents’ signals, those within the sport believe that their alleged operation should have given them a crucial leg up on their competition.

“That’s huge. There’s no other way to say it,” a Power Five head coach told The Athletic. “That’s as big as it gets. It’s the biggest advantage in college football, I would say. How does it get any bigger?”

Why was Jim Harbaugh suspended?

Of Michigan’s 14 wins this season, Harbaugh has only been on the sidelines for eight of them. He has served two separate three-game suspensions.