Michigan Regents Reviewing Athletic Department Investigation, Warde Manuel Thursday

Sources told ESPN that the University of Michigan’s regents plan to meet on Thursday to discuss an investigation into the culture of the school’s athletic department. A decision regarding athletic director Warde Manuel is expected in the days following the meeting.

A university spokesman stated on Sunday that there was nothing new to report and declined to offer additional comment to ESPN. The meeting follows a months-long review of Michigan’s athletics program initiated late last year.

Michigan commissioned an outside investigation in December after football coach Sherrone Moore was terminated for having what the university described as an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.” The inquiry, conducted by the law firm Jenner & Block, is reported to have cost more than $11 million and is described as comprehensive.

After his dismissal earlier that month by Manuel, Moore went to the home of staff member Paige Shiver and confronted her. He was subsequently arrested and later reached a plea agreement involving misdemeanor malicious use of a telecommunications device and misdemeanor trespassing.

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The episode added to a series of controversies surrounding Michigan’s athletic department. The school has previously dealt with multiple NCAA violation cases, a prohibited in-person scouting operation tied to staff member Connor Stalions, and federal charges brought against former offensive coordinator Matt Weiss for felony aggravated identity theft and unauthorized computer access. Weiss has entered a not guilty plea and is scheduled to stand trial in September.

Manuel, who is 58 years old, has served as Michigan’s athletic director since 2016 and was a former football player at the school. He has never been cited in connection with any of the department’s scandals. Under his tenure, Michigan has recorded competitive success, including national championships in men’s basketball in 2026, football in 2023, and men’s and women’s gymnastics in 2025 and 2021 respectively.

Manuel’s current contract extends through 2030, and reports indicate that it is unclear how finances would be handled if a departure occurred. His most recent deal, signed in December 2024, includes compensation of nearly $2.4 million annually, with deferred compensation included in that total.

The firing of Moore placed heightened focus on Manuel’s leadership. Manuel had promoted Moore after coach Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL, and Michigan continues to navigate legal ramifications tied to Moore’s arrest. The review is expected to examine what Manuel and other athletic officials knew about Moore’s relationship with the staff member and what actions they took in response.

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Issues under review extend beyond Moore’s case. An extensive investigation into Connor Stalions’ advanced scouting operation triggered NCAA penalties against Michigan. Those included an anticipated fine exceeding $30 million, a four-year probation period, and a 10-year show cause order for Harbaugh.

Manuel was directly involved in disputing the Big Ten’s decision to suspend Harbaugh for three games in 2023 under the conference’s sportsmanship clause. At the time, Manuel described the action as “completely unethical” and “an assault on the rights” of everyone impacted by it. Five days later, Michigan withdrew its lawsuit against the Big Ten.

Another situation that brought scrutiny to Manuel concerned his hiring decisions in basketball. In March 2024, he persuaded Florida Atlantic’s Dusty May to become Michigan’s men’s basketball coach, doing so during a year that saw several prominent openings, including at Ohio State. Following May’s national championship win with the Wolverines, Manuel said during a celebratory parade that he and May had agreed to a new deal to keep May at Michigan “for many years to come.”

However, the agreement was never finalized. Nearly two months after Manuel’s public announcement, May departed to become the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. The unresolved contract left the program without the long-term arrangement that Manuel had announced during Michigan’s championship celebration.

Michigan’s athletic department continues to await the official release of the Jenner & Block report before determining next steps. The regents’ Thursday discussion marks the first formal meeting since the internal investigation began last December.

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