In Ann Arbor, the Michigan athletic department is gearing up for a financial juggling act like no other. With student-athlete revenue sharing now entering the ledger books and scholarships ballooning, the Wolverines are bracing for record-high expenses. Athletic Director Warde Manuel has made it clear the department plans to lean on the university’s broader resources to help balance the books. The dollars dominate headlines; the real storyline starts with the man who steadied UM through turbulence: Sherrone Moore.

Sherrone Moore didn’t inherit a soft landing. Stepping into the head coaching role midstream is never clean, and at a place like Michigan—where expectations are carved in stone—it’s downright daunting. But Manuel’s public assessment on the Big Ten Network made it crystal clear that Moore exceeded expectations.

Warde Manuel said, “I thought he did a great job. I mean, I think taking over a program is always hard, no matter if you have experience or not. Coming in and sitting in that seat at the University of Michigan. We’re proud of and have a rich tradition, and obviously he was a big part of that.”

The way Moore held the team together through a dip in the season and then finished strong with wins over Ohio State and Alabama sealed his status. “It was a testament at the end of the season, the way they stayed together, the way he motivated and kept them together, everyone really pulling in the right direction and moving forward.” That cohesion and late-season grit seem to align with Michigan’s growing confidence in Moore—and it’s the same confidence shaping their position in the evolving CFP landscape.

When asked about the expanding CFP, Ward Manuel voiced clear support for growth. “I don’t know how inevitable. I’ll leave that up to the commissioners to decide. But I think growth is always good. Now we can’t imagine going back to four.”

He made it known he’s all in for a 14- or 16-team model. “I’ll leave it to them…all four of them and the rest of the commissioners that really try to decide how to shape college football, what’s in the best interest. I’m supportive of it if they want to go 14 or 16. I think more teams add more value in many respects, allows more to get in. But you’re still going to have the arguments on the fringes… 17, 18, 19 going to argue that they should have been in. But that’s just life.”

Joining that chorus was Ohio State’s Ryan Day, who has been upfront about the need for more inclusion—especially for Big Ten powerhouses now swimming in deeper waters with an 18-team lineup. “We’re in the Big Ten, and we have 18 teams and some of the best programs in the country. I feel like we deserve at least four automatic qualifiers.” Day’s angle is rooted in recent results.

Washington reached the championship game in 2023, losing to Michigan. Oregon claimed the Big Ten title and secured the No. 1 overall seed in the CFP—only to fall to Ohio State in a Rose Bowl classic. The conference isn’t just big; it’s producing winners.

Day, though, is sounding a cautious note amid the excitement. With a longer season looming, he’s flagged the strain it could put on players. “I’m concerned about 16 or 17 games with a 105-man roster,” he said, raising fair concerns about health, depth, and logistics. Expansion brings opportunity—but also wear and tear.

While administrators like Ward Manuel are focused on ensuring equity and representation in postseason football, they’re also managing a rapidly changing internal economy. The Michigan Wolverines’ athletics is just one example of a major program threading a tightrope: supporting athlete compensation while preserving its on-field identity.

Michigan Wolverines tighten the belt as big expenses roll in

It’s budget season in Ann Arbor, and the numbers are putting a full-court press on U-Mich. In a proposal shared during Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting, the Wolverines revealed a projected $266.3 million in both revenue and expenses for fiscal year 2026, only with a crucial $15 million assist from the university’s general fund to keep things level. Without it, things might’ve gotten dicey.

What’s causing the squeeze? Start with the $26.7 million hit from the recent House settlement. AD Warde Manuel didn’t sugarcoat it—$20.5 million of that chunk will be distributed directly to student-athletes, with another $6.2 million going toward new scholarships. It’s a monumental shift in how college sports departments handle their cash flow.

Then there’s the drop in ticket revenue. Hosting just six football home games this fall—compared to eight last season—has Michigan bracing for a $19.1 million decline in year-over-year ticket sales. That’s a lot of maize and blue missing from the stands and the spreadsheet.

To patch things up, Manuel is initiating $10 million in departmental budget cuts. In a letter to supporters, he laid it out: Michigan will leave some vacated positions unfilled and revise its travel policies. The silver lining? A projected $5.8 million boost from the Big Ten’s multimedia rights deal.