It was a foreshadowing of what was to come, an omen of sorts that said everything with no one saying nothing.

Back on July 29 the Central Michigan University football team held its annual media day, a day where the Chippewas and the CMU coaching staff met with the media to talk about the upcoming campaign.

Media day has always been a day filled with optimism, which makes sense in that every team is undefeated and looking forward to seeing where they stack up once the season opens.

Yet, within 24 hours of Central Michigan University hosting its media day back in late-July, someone from the university intentionally leaked some damning information about the football program going forward.

As it was John Brice from FootballScoop.com reported on July 30 that CMU was expected to cut ties with quarterback coach Jake Kostner and elevate John Leister to that position. Initially, the reports were just that, yet by mid-September the story started gaining some legs as Kostner resigned on Sept. 15 to pursue other opportunities. He had made the university aware of his decision to leave on Aug. 31, two days following the season-opener.

Kostner’s departure came amongst numerous other reports that tied him into the Connor Stalions ‘sign-stealing’ scandal. The NCAA alleges Stalions had attended the Central Michigan at Michigan State football game on Sept. 1, 2023 to steal signs. Moreover, it also alleges he was on the CMU sideline dressed in CMU apparel. At the time Stalions was an assistant coach under Jim Harbaugh at the University of Michigan.

To this day Stalions has admitted no wrongdoing, stating, “I don’t recall attending a specific game there, no.”

CMU has stood mute on the matter pending the NCAA investigation and to this day no one is really quite sure if it was Stalions or not?

The NCAA alleges it was, Stalions doesn’t remember and two universities in the University of Michigan and Central Michigan University aren’t saying anything.

Earlier this week CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd reported CMU head football coach Jim McElwain is now under investigation by the NCAA. According to the report the NCAA wants to know if McElwain played a role in allowing Stalions to gain access to the CMU sideline on Sept. 1, 2023.

Both McElwain and Kostner worked with Stalions at the University of Michigan back in 2018, thus they all knew one another.

If the NCAA finds McElwain allowed Stalions access to the CMU sideline it would be bad news for the CMU program as he would have violated NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1. The bylaw states, “Off-campus, in-person scouting (in the same season) is prohibited.”

McElwain previously said he had no knowledge of Stalions being on the sideline. Now McElwain is under investigation.

Back on media day McElwain was optimistic, yet also took some blame for the two seasons prior as the Chippewas went 4-8 in 2022 and 5-7 in 2023.

“Obviously, the last couple years have been unacceptable and I take the blame totally for the way we played games, the way we didn’t finish, the way we didn’t push through struggles. That’s all on me, nobody else, not the players, not the coaches, that’s the head football coach. We’re here to prove ourselves in a different manner. Look, this football program deserves a hell of a lot better than it’s gotten the last couple years and that’s my responsibility and that’s the direction we’re headed.”

On Tuesday night, the Chippewas were dismantled in Toledo, dropping a fifth-straight game by a final of 37-10.

In truth the entire scandal has brought nothing of value to the CMU program, rather it’s been more like an anchor weighing the program down for over a year now. Whether or not McElwain played a role awaits to be seen.

Whether or not CMU keeps McElwain or lets him go awaits to be seen too.