Updated
Updated · Detroit News · Jul 14
Michigan Regents Omit $12 Million Athletic Probe From Agenda as Warde Manuel's Future Hangs
Updated
Updated · Detroit News · Jul 14

Michigan Regents Omit $12 Million Athletic Probe From Agenda as Warde Manuel's Future Hangs

3 articles · Updated · Detroit News · Jul 14

Summary

  • An online agenda for Thursday's University of Michigan regents meeting does not include the athletic department investigation or Athletic Director Warde Manuel's job status, despite mounting speculation around both.
  • Board rules still allow regents to add topics at the last minute or raise them during comments, while any employment action on Manuel would fall to President Domenico Grasso rather than the board.
  • The pressure stems from a nearly $12 million probe into the department's culture, expanded after former football coach Sherrone Moore was fired for lying about an affair with assistant Paige Shiver.
  • Manuel, who said on radio Tuesday that reports of his firing were "nonsense," also faces scrutiny as the university argues investigation records are protected by attorney-client privilege and may stay unreleased.
  • Shiver has separately sued the university over denied records requests, alleging withheld emails between Moore and Manuel related to her pregnancy and abortion.

Insights

With President Grasso's firm support, are multiple scandals enough to truly threaten Warde Manuel's future as AD?
Why was a nearly $12 million investigation into athletic culture not important enough for the official board agenda?
After a $12M oral-only report, is Michigan's athletic department prioritizing accountability or simply managing legal liability?