Tom Brady gets into business with Michigan one day after Jim Harbaugh's suspension
Tom Brady is a proud alum of Michigan, the university where he spent his college football journey. The seven-time Super Bowl winner recently showed solidarity with his alma mater on his Instagram page in the form of a post, where he wore a hoodie of the university.
He also left a message in the caption a day following the suspension of head coach Jim Harbaugh by the Big Ten. Brady also supported the Wolverines as they will face Penn State in a top-10 matchup Saturday afternoon.
Brady Brand is partnering with Michigan with a Brady X Michigan apparel collection of various T-shirts, sweatpants and hoodies. Michigan student-athletes, like star quarterback J.J. McCarty, are a part of the NFL legend's company thanks to NIL.
The school is entangled in a supposed scheme of stealing signs that involved unallowed, on-site scouting of opponents. Multiple reports say this has been going back as long as three seasons.
According to CBS Detroit, the sign-stealing claims against the university revolve around former employee Connor Stalions. Stalions supposedly bought tickets to the games of the Wolverines' future opponents and sent people to record video of that team's signals.
Why is Jim Harbaugh suspended for the season?
Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti sent a 13-page letter to Michigan athletic director Warde Emanuel following Harbaugh's suspension for Michigan's final three games of the season. Petitti explained:
"(Michigan) violated the Sportsmanship Policy because a University football staff member engaged in an organized, extensive, years-long in-person advance scouting scheme that was impermissible."
Petitti added:
"The goal of the scheme was to gain an unfair advantage by stealing the signs of teams that the University's football team was due to play later in the season. Such misconduct inherently compromises the integrity of competition."
The Big Ten Commissioner made it clear that the ruling is not a punishment for Harbaugh:
"It is a sanction against the University that, under the extraordinary circumstances presented by this offensive conduct, best fits the violation because: (1) it preserves the ability of the University's football student-athletes to continue competing; and (2) it recognizes that the Head Coach embodies the University for purposes of its football program."
The Wolverines head coach had denied the allegations from the very beginning. Michigan president Santa Ono said that the university is looking to get a court order to overturn the suspension.
What was Tom Brady's record at Michigan?
While the quarterback is viewed as the greatest player in NFL history, that wasn't the case early at Michigan. He had just 20 pass attempts combined in his first two seasons on campus.
However, Tom Brady found his way as the Wolverines starting quarterback for his junior and senior seasons.
The program had back-to-back 10-win seasons with Brady at the helm and won bowl games against Arkansas and Alabama. He is 10th in school history in yards (4,773) and in the top 15 in touchdowns (30).
How much money is Tom Brady worth in 2023?
Per multiple reports, Brady's net worth as of 2023 clocks in at a cool $300 million. That figure, however, is expected to rise in the coming years, primarily due to two reasons:
1] The Patriots legend has a $375 million deal with FOX to step into the broadcasting booth. That deal will kick in in 2024.
2] Brady's looking to officially come on board as a minority owner with the Las Vegas Raiders. Pro Football Talk reported last month that Brady was looking to buy a 5-10% slice of the franchise. However, he has still not been officially named as a minority owner in the franchise. In any case, Brady has a similar deal in place with the Mark Davis-owned Las Vegas Aces, who were just crowned WNBA champions for the second year running.