Trouble for Belichick, GM at North Carolina
College football
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North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid administrative leave.
The school announced the move with a statement Monday morning, coming days before the Tar Heels open preseason camp. The school didn't provide details as to the reason, noting that employees and athletes aren't permitted to address the topic "as is standard procedure with personnel matters."
Lombardi joined Bill Belichick in making the NFL-to-college move when the school hired the former New England Patriots coach in December 2024. Lombardi's career as an NFL executive had included being the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2013, and he was an immediate hire by the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach in Chapel Hill.
The school had hired Belichick to jolt a football program that had largely been an Atlantic Coast Conference also-ran while making periodic but unsustained climbs into national relevance.
A few months into Belichick's tenure, Lombardi said the goal was running a college program in a way similar to the NFL, saying the Tar Heels "consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team" due to the staff connections to the pros.
The Tar Heels went just 4-8 in Belichick's first season. They open his second against TCU in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29.
A parting gift
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel will receive a $7.14 million lump sum as part of his separation agreement with the university. The Associated Press obtained documents revealing the details.
The school announced on July 20 that it would buy out the remaining three years of Manuel's contract. Manuel agreed to step down following investigations into former football coach Sherrone Moore's relationship with his executive assistant and a probe into the athletic department.
He will also receive perks like tickets to Michigan games and golf privileges. The agreement was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
History at Stanford
The College Football Players Association has announced that Stanford has become the first team to organize a player-led chapter.
The group advocates for unionization and collective bargaining. CFBPA executive director Jason Stahl says the goal is for other Atlantic Coast Conference schools to join Stanford. This could create momentum for unionization and bargaining over working conditions.
Stanford players elected offensive lineman Fisher Anderson and linebacker Ernest Cooper as their representatives. Anderson believes the CFPA will give players a voice in governing college football. The NCAA and conferences are working with Congress on a Senate bill for an antitrust exemption.