While firing Sherrone Moore for cause spared Michigan a $13.9 million buyout, the fallout wasn’t cheap. The university’s sprawling six-month investigation into Moore’s conduct has officially concluded, bringing a staggering final bill. Disclosures from The Detroit News reveal Michigan paid law firm Jenner & Block an eye-watering $11.5 million.
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Back on November 13, 2025, Michigan brought in Jenner & Block to investigate allegations surrounding Sherrone Moore’s relationship with his executive assistant, Paige Shiver. Less than a month later, on December 10, Moore was fired after Shiver came forward, which led to a full institutional check.
This wasn’t just a surface-level HR review. Investigators had to dig through years of digital communication and interview dozens of staffers from the athletic department. They needed to determine exactly how a four-year relationship remained an unchecked open secret, and if the department’s culture actively helped shield the ex-head coach.
What started as a probe into one coach’s conduct didn’t stay there. It expanded to include how the relationship was handled internally, who knew what, when they knew it, and whether the athletic department’s culture allowed it to thrive unchecked. That led to more lawyers putting in more hours, which meant more bills for Michigan.
Sherrone Moore probe cost at Michigan reaches $11.5M detroitnews.com/story/sports/c… via @detroitnews Story by @sarahmatwood
The billing started to spiral rather quickly as the probe widened. By February, Jenner & Block had billed over $3.3 million in just one month. Unfortunately, March added another $2 million to the tally. From November through April, the invoices rose past $11.5 million, proving that unearthing systemic cultural issues within the university comes at a high cost.
“Conducting a thorough legal review of complex and high-stakes issues at a college or university requires significant time, specialized expertise, and resources,” Paul Corliss said back in February. “In this case, the work involves two related but distinct efforts: a review concerning Sherrone Moore’s conduct and a broader assessment of the culture within the athletic department. The University is committed to ensuring both are handled with the seriousness, independence, and care they require.”
But then came the details that made the investigation even more serious. In a televised interview with Linsey Davis, Shiver described a four-year relationship with Sherrone Moore that she claimed was an “open secret” within the department.
“(Moore) controlled everything that was going on in my life, and (the university) didn’t do anything about it,” she declared.
Sherrone Moore’s post-firing actions only added fuel. Hours after his dismissal, he was arrested following an incident at Shiver’s residence. By March, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges. In April, he was sentenced to 18 months of probation, avoiding jail time. What makes this even more ironic is the original intent.
Similar financial hits like Sherrone Moore’s Michigan case
Michigan isn’t the only one that had to pay a steep price. Big-time programs have paid their dues, too, for external reviews before. Penn State had to pay $8 million for its Jerry Sandusky-related report and roughly $27 million more in legal and consulting fees.
At the end, the Nittany Lions ended up losing a mammoth $250 million. Meanwhile, Michigan State also spent around $19 million investigating the Larry Nassar scandal. By 2021, it had spent over $510 million in total. But in the Wolverines’ case, the story isn’t fully closed.
University regent Paul Brown has already called the investigation “very thorough” and “very good.” A formal update is expected at the May 21 Board of Regents meeting. That’s when we’ll likely hear what changes moving forward and whether AD Warde Manuel, who felt betrayed by Sherrone Moore, will face any consequences.
