The NCAA's FBS oversight committee acknowledged Wednesday that instant replay protocols were not properly followed at the end of Western Michigan's 13-12 loss to Michigan in Week 1, but determined it does not have the authority to overturn the result.
Per ESPN and CBS Sports, the committee confirmed that no time should have been added to the clock for the Wolverines' game-winning Hail Mary play. CBS Sports reported the committee said the result "would have been different" if proper replay protocols had been followed. Yahoo Sports characterized the NCAA's acknowledgment more directly, stating the committee found the Wolverines should have won.
Despite the committee's findings, the loss remains on Western Michigan's record. The reported distinction between acknowledging a procedural error and lacking authority to correct it leaves the controversial finish unresolved in terms of the final outcome, though the NCAA's admission provides official confirmation of what observers disputed immediately after the game.