Michigan’s Board of Regents is not expected to discuss the findings of the independent investigation into the university’s athletics department that it commissioned, or the status of athletics director Warde Manuel, when it meets on Thursday, sources told CBS Sports.
The development comes amid growing unrest outside the athletics department, as Manuel has gone on the offensive amid speculation over his future as athletics director. The board’s meeting agenda posted on Tuesday does not include the investigation or Manuel’s employment. A source told CBS Sports on Wednesday that there are currently no plans for the board to discuss the topics.
News of Manuel’s uncertain future surfaced Sunday. CBS Sports reported that Manuel was considering his options. On Tuesday, Manuel refuted reports but did not deny he has had conversations about a buyout from his contract, which runs through the 2029-30 academic year, according to a copy obtained by CBS Sports.
Warde Manuel’s Michigan legacy: The good, the bad and the ugly as AD’s future hangs in the balance
Cody Nagel
“Don’t believe everything that’s out there in the world about what people say,” Manuel said Tuesday on WTKA. “I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know … what’s going to happen. I know what today is, I know what tomorrow’s going to be. It could happen. I don’t know. I don’t know what the future is going to be.”
Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block began investigating Manuel’s athletic department in December after football coach Sherrone Moore was fired for having a personal relationship with a staffer, Paige Shiver. The investigation’s scope expanded to include the “culture” of the entire athletics department. The university has spent more than $11 million on the investigation.
Interim university president Dominic Grasso previously said the school would “act swiftly” if the investigation produced findings warranting additional terminations. A source indicated Michigan officials, including regents and Grasso, have been briefed orally about the investigation’s findings.
“We will leave no stone unturned, and any further action we take will be based on credible evidence and findings, developed through a rigorous investigation,” Grasso said in a December video statement.
Whether Shiver or the public will ever see the full version of the Jenner & Block report is unclear. Shiver is suing the school to release records relating to it, according to court documents obtained by CBS Sports
“Ms. Shiver is demanding President Grasso, the Board of Regents, and General Counsel Patty Petrowski immediately release the $12 million Jenner & Block investigative report,” Shiver’s attorney, Andrew Stroth, told CBS Sports.
A member of Shiver’s legal team filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests dating back to February for investigatory files relating to Moore’s termination, including recordings of interviews with Shiver and her father, Jeff, and interviews or communications with Moore regarding the relationship and his termination. The school denied the requests while the investigation was ongoing and after its completion.
One request, dated May 4, requesting transcripts, notes, and recordings of a Dec. 10 meeting with Shiver was denied by the school because it said it has no responsive records. Manuel fired Moore on Dec. 10 after evidence of an inappropriate relationship between Moore and Shiver, a subordinate, was brought to the department that morning. Moore was arrested later that day after he entered Shiver’s home. He was charged with felony home invasion, stalking and breaking and entering.
Moore eventually pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of malicious use of a telecommunications device and trespassing. A Washtenaw County judge sentenced him in April to 18 months of probation and a $1,000 fine. The felony and other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Shiver, 32, said she endured “years of manipulation, harassment and exploitation” from Moore and that the university failed to protect its employee. Shiver’s lawyers said in March that she “believes strongly that she may not be the only person who experienced inappropriate, coercive, or predatory behavior” from Moore. Questions about the department’s broader awareness of Moore’s conduct during his two-year tenure fueled calls for a deeper institutional reckoning.
Another request by Shiver’s attorneys sought emails between Manuel and Moore dating back to January 2022 that contained specific keywords: “affair,” “discipline,” “pregnancy,” “baby,” and “abortion.” That request was denied by the school; although two email records were found to be responsive, they were withheld because the school claimed that disclosing that information would be an unwarranted invasion of an individual’s privacy and therefore not subject to disclosure.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Manuel and other university officials received multiple warnings about Moore’s relationship with Shiver well before the coach was fired in December, and revealed that Manuel spoke with Moore about the relationship before Moore debuted as head coach of the Wolverines in 2024. The details were revealed in Jenner & Block’s investigation, according to the outlet. The Athletic reported that players and staff raised concerns about Moore and Shiver’s relationship during the 2024 preseason camp.
A university spokesperson told CBS Sports on Wednesday afternoon that Manuel’s status and the investigation will not be on the Board of Regents’ agenda, adding that “Warde Manuel is our athletic director. No decision has been made pertaining to his future with the university.”
The university’s full statement is below:
“The University of Michigan promptly terminated former head football coach Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10, 2025, upon learning of his undisclosed workplace relationship with a direct report. Moore’s conduct violated university policy, and we expect more from our leaders. Because this matter is the subject of pending litigation, the university will not comment further on issues related to that relationship.
As it pertains to investigations conducted on the university’s behalf by the law firm Jenner & Block, the firm conducted two related but distinct reviews: one concerning Moore’s conduct and a broader assessment of the culture within the Department of Athletics. These independent reviews were commissioned to strengthen the department and ensure it reflects the standards of leadership, integrity and accountability we expect.
Documents related to these attorney-directed investigations are privileged and confidential and protected by attorney-client privilege. Maintaining the confidentiality of these documents preserves the integrity of the investigative process, protects the privacy of those who participated and helps safeguard those individuals from potential retaliation.
The university will determine the appropriate time and manner to communicate the results of the athletics investigations and any actions taken in response to its findings.
Warde Manuel is our athletic director. No decision has been made pertaining to his future with the university.”
Manuel has managed more institutional turbulence than most athletic directors see in a career — a sign-stealing investigation during the Jim Harbaugh era, the arrest and firing of his football coach, an investigation into the hockey program leading to head coach Mel Pearson’s firing, an assistant football coach fired and federally indicted for computer crimes, a national basketball championship, a rejected private-equity bid and an Amazon streaming deal outside the Big Ten’s media agreement that sparked tensions within the conference.
“I always aim for steadiness,” Manuel said in May at the Big Ten’s spring meetings in Southern California. “Believe me, this is not anything that I’ve desired or wanted or hoped for. But I deal with it. My goal as a leader is to provide the steadiness in the wake of dealing with issues to the rest of the department and my staff and student-athletes. We have done that as a department and an organization. I don’t take any of it lightly. It’s not something I welcome, but we’ve dealt with it.”
Manuel promoted Moore from offensive coordinator to head coach after Harbaugh left for the NFL following the Wolverines’ first national championship since 1997. Moore went 16-8 in two seasons.
Utah’s Kyle Whittingham was hired in January as the athletics department attempted to stabilize. Then, basketball coach Dusty May left the program in June for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks after winning a national title in April.
In December 2024, Manuel signed a five-year contract extension through June 30, 2030. His average annual compensation is $1.9 million.
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