Report: Michigan AD Warde Manuel's buyout tops $7M

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel's separation agreement reportedly includes a lump sum payment of more than $7 million.

Other perks will include a $108,000 contribution to his retirement account and $82,000 toward attorney fees as well as eligibility for tickets to Wolverines games and golf privileges, The Associated Press reported Monday.

Manuel is stepping down at the end of 2026, with the university announcing last week it is buying out the final three years on his contract.

Manuel, 58, who has held the position since 2016, has agreed not to work as an athletic director or senior athletic adviser for another Big Ten program for two years after the date of his voluntary resignation on Dec. 31, per the report. He is allowed to take a job outside of the conference with no penalty.

Highlights of Manuel's time in Ann Arbor included national championships in football and men's basketball, but his tenure was ultimately engulfed in controversy thanks to a sign-stealing scandal involving former football coach Jim Harbaugh's staff and an improper relationship with a staff member by Harbaugh's successor, Sherrone Moore.

--Field Level Media