Warde Manuel buyout at Michigan set at $7.1 million, report says
Michigan will pay outgoing athletic director Warde Manuel $7.1M plus benefits after a settlement tied to an athletics review, per The Detroit News.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The Warde Manuel buyout at Michigan will total $7,143,346, with the outgoing athletic director set to receive the money within three weeks of his resignation date, according to The Detroit News.
The payment is part of a settlement tied to an internal investigation of Michigan athletics leadership and culture. Manuel is scheduled to step down at the end of the calendar year, the university has said.
How much is Warde Manuel's buyout?
Manuel’s settlement calls for a single payment of $7,143,346, according to The Detroit News. A buyout is a payment made under an employment separation agreement, often used when a contract ends before its scheduled expiration.
The agreement also includes a $108,000 retirement contribution and retiree benefits, The Detroit News reported. Michigan waived a 20-year service requirement for those retirement and health benefits as part of the settlement.
Manuel also agreed to a two-year non-compete clause that bars him from taking an administrative job at another Big Ten school, according to the report. Michigan paid $82,000 in legal fees connected to the proceeding.
Manuel had signed a five-year contract extension in 2024 that ran through June 2030 and was worth nearly $2.5 million per year, according to CBS Sports.
What did Michigan's athletics investigation find?
Michigan’s public summary of its athletics review identified three broad areas needing work: leadership accountability, organizational structure and reporting culture.
Regarding Manuel’s role, the university’s investigation found “failures to quickly and effectively act on allegations of wrongdoing by Athletic Department employees,” according to Michigan’s posted findings.
The review grew out of scrutiny around the Wolverines athletic department. University president Domenico Grasso said the inquiry expanded into an independent evaluation of “culture, conduct and procedures” across the department, according to CBS Sports.
The Detroit News reported that Michigan does not plan to release the Jenner & Block findings and that Manuel was not given access to that information.
In a statement to CBS Sports earlier this month, Michigan said it had no additional public statements planned and did not plan to release related documents. The university confirmed in that statement that Manuel would leave his post at the end of the calendar year.
What has Warde Manuel said?
After Michigan announced a coming leadership change on July 20, Manuel said he was proud of the athletic department’s work over 11 years.
“We have tremendous coaches and professionals who support our outstanding student-athletes every day,” Manuel said in the statement. He also said Grasso had asked him to stay on to help implement recommendations for improvement.
Manuel added that he would have more to say about his decision “at the appropriate time.”
Michigan teams won national championships during Manuel’s tenure in football in 2023, women’s gymnastics in 2021, men’s gymnastics in 2025 and men’s basketball in 2026, according to CBS Sports. His time as athletic director also included the decision to keep Jim Harbaugh after the 2020 football season, before a run that produced a national title and multiple wins over Ohio State.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.