The University of Michigan has spent millions in legal fees tied to investigations involving its athletic department, including probes connected to the dismissal of former football coach Sherrone Moore. The university hired Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block to conduct the independent review, with public records showing payments already exceeding $2 million for work that began in December.
It’s Been Costly
The total was revealed through three invoices obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request, The Detroit News reported. The billing included $61,887 on Dec. 3, $1.06 million on Jan. 29, and $933,927 on Jan. 31.
Jenner & Block was retained to handle two linked but separate reviews. The case is to address Moore’s conduct, and then the other examining the athletic department’s overall culture, conduct, and procedures.
Moore served as Michigan’s head football coach, but he was fired on Dec. 10 after the university found credible evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, as reported by MLive.
Following his dismissal, he was arrested and charged with third-degree home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering related to an incident at the staffer’s residence.
With the Wolverines athletics department’s integrity in shambles, the external investigations officials say is supposed to ensure independence, bolster oversight, and restore confidence.
The review is anticipated to wrap up sometime this spring, though no exact timeline has been set.
Outside of Moore’s and the athletics department woes, the university’s total spending on outside legal firms and investigations is looking into the high-profile football sign-stealing scandal and ongoing NCAA enforcement matters — a 2023 sign-stealing scandal involving staffer Connor Stalions.
The Detroit News reported the NCAA probe into the sign-stealing operation has further inflated legal bills and financial exposure, creating expense like news investigations, compliance expenses, and potential penalties that could climb into the tens of millions of dollars that the University of Michigan will pay Jenner & Block in addition to the $2 million already disbursed.
The New York Post and ESPN have reported the incident cost the university about $20 million in fines in 2025, with the possibility of it actually costing more than $30 million.
