U-M athletic director Warde Manuel speaks during introductory press conference for Dusty May at Junge Family Champions Center in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
Revenue sharing will come to college sports in the 2025-26 academic year. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel revealed that the university will spend $23.5 million next season, the maximum amount allowed.
Speaking to Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider, Manuel stated:
“I want our student-athletes to be supported. We’re about to start paying $23.5 million next year to our student-athletes in revenue sharing, and I’m fine with it. We’re gonna find a way to do it. We’re gonna find a way to increase revenue, decrease expenses so we can revenue share with our student-athletes.”
Manuel noted that Michigan does not plan to get rid of any of their 29 varsity sports teams, adding:
“We’re not going to drop sports. I’ve said that to the Board [of Regents] and I’ve said that to our coaches, but we also have to realize we’re approaching – very quickly next year – a different way of doing things that with an added expenditure line on the budget of $23.5 million. Now, our budget last year, we came in at plus-200,000. That gives you a sense of the magnitude of the addition.”
He added that the program will be getting extra revenue from the College Football Playoff, however, that will not be for another two years. He noted that the additional revenue will offset about half of the $23.5 million revenue sharing budget.
Check out Warde Manuel’s comments on revenue sharing below (starting at the 42:27 mark):
Warde Manuel weighs in on ongoing NCAA investigations
Michigan is currently the subject of multiple NCAA investigations. Manuel provided some insight into the university’s plans for battling the charges levied against the program, stating:
“We’re going to fight when we need to fight, but also, where we have made mistakes, we’re going to admit them and deal with it. I don’t want people to think because we don’t talk about it publicly – and I can’t – that we’re not going to fight for what we think is right for the University of Michigan and for the people that are here.”
“We are, but at the same time, we have to also understand, if we do do things against the rules – that we know are against the rules – we need to admit it and move forward and deal with it.”
Manuel noted that he is not alone in the decision-making process of how to handle the ongoing cases. Michigan received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA this week and will have 90 days to respond.
Check out Warde Manuel’s comments on the NCAA investigations below (starting at the 13:51 mark):
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