Michigan's investigation into Sherrone Moore and its athletic department has cost over $11.5 million so far
When the University of Michigan decided to open an investigation into former head coach Sherrone Moore, I don't imagine fans thought the school would be paying more than $10 million to lawyers looking into past transgressions.
But, as the saying goes in college athletics, billable hours are undefeated.
As Michigan put together a plan to investigate Sherrone Moore regarding his relationship with former Wolverines' staffer Paige Shiver, the school hired the Jenner & Block law firm that is based in Chicago. The goal was to uncover all of the wrongdoings by the former coach tied to his extramarital affair with the 32-year-old football staffer.
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The probe into Moore by the law firm actually started in November 2025, after it was alleged through a tip that the two were romantically involved, with rumors swirling within the football building for more than three years.
Based on evidence found in the initial weeks, the school and law firm still needed actual proof of improprieties, and not having to base their claims on scuttlebutt around the facility.
What the law firm has now uncovered has yet to be officially reported, but the price tag for the investigation into the actions of Moore was more than likely a tad bit higher than what school officials probably had in mind when this all began.
According to the Detroit News, which submitted a FOIA request for financial records, the law firm of Jenner & Block has billed Michigan over $11.5 million for investigative work done from November 2025 to March 2026, with the balance from April yet to be disclosed.
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You might be wondering what type of probe would cost that much money.
But, it's important to remember that after discovering the alleged relationship between Sherrone Moore and Paige Shiver, the school decided that it would also retain the same firm to open a larger probe into the athletic department's culture.
The main reason for the broader scope was to look into the culture that led to multiple NCAA inquiries into Michigan football, along with former assistant coach Matt Weiss being arrested by the FBI on charges of stealing more than 3,000 videos and photos of college athletes by hacking into their personal accounts.
According to an interview with ABC News, Paige Shiver noted that her relationship with the former Michigan coach first started when he was an assistant under Jim Harbaugh in January 2022.
After first being hired by the school as an intern in 2021, Shiver was promoted to assistant recruiting coordinator just five months later, according to the Michigan directory.
Then, Jim Harbaugh accepted the Los Angeles Chargers head coaching position following the Wolverines capturing the 2023 CFP title, while also being embroiled in the Connor Stallions sign-stealing investigation.
That is when athletic director Warde Manuel decided that Sherrone Moore would become the next head coach at Michigan, officially hiring him on Jan. 26, 2024.
Soon thereafter, Paige Shiver was promoted to executive assistant to Moore, where their relationship continued, with her also receiving a significant pay increase.
As for the extramarital affair between Moore and Shiver, the school first received a tip last summer, which led to the school opening its own investigation into the case.
Given that Sherrone Moore coached the entire 2025 regular season, with rumors continuing to swirl within the football building according to multiple sources, Michigan AD Warde Manuel clearly did not have enough evidence to bring forth a human resources violation.
The only thing missing was proof, which came from Paige Shiver on Dec. 8, 2025. The staffer met with university officials and the law firm investigating the matter, providing them with electronic evidence of the relationship, giving Michigan enough to fire Sherrone Moore.
On the same day he was fired, Dec. 10, 2025, Moore was alleged to have broken into the apartment of Shiver, where he is said to have grabbed a butter knife out of a drawer and held it to his throat while screaming at the former staffer that she had ruined his life.
This all led to an interesting few months of court proceedings, with Moore pleading "no contest" for two misdemeanors of trespassing and malicious use of telecommunication, with the judge sentencing him to 18 months' probation. He was also ordered to not have any contact with Paige Shiver.
The only people who truly know what occurred over the three-day period leading up to his arrest are Shiver and Moore, though the investigation into the Michigan athletics department will likely answer a number of questions regarding the relationship that transpired.
For now, the school is waiting on the final report, with the investigation reportedly being finished this month. During the interview with ABC News, Shiver noted that due to a medical condition, she had to have an abortion during her relationship with Sherrone Moore.
What happens next will be interesting to follow, especially for athletic director Warde Manuel and school officials, with a potential lawsuit coming from Paige Shiver.