CHARLOTTE, NC (WFXR) – WFXR sports director Jermaine Ferrell caught up with head football coach Tony Elliott and the University of Virginia football team at the 2026 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte to discuss the team building off of last season’s success.

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When Sherrone Moore was fired for conducting a relationship with executive assistant Paige Shiver, at Michigan, the university commissioned Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block to find out what athletic department officials knew about the affair before Shiver admitted to it—and when.

The university has not yet released any public findings. But certain details first reported by The Wall Street Journal and The Athletic and confirmed by Front Office Sports suggest there was widespread speculation within the department about the relationship for more than a year, and that athletic department leadership, including AD Warde Manuel, was aware of this speculation.

Ultimately, however, the university’s board has no plans to discuss the future of athletics personnel issues at its meeting Thursday, the source said. A university spokesperson echoed these comments.

The spokesperson also referred to a statement provided to FOS Tuesday saying: “Because this matter is the subject of pending litigation, the university will not comment further on issues related to that relationship.” As for the report itself, the spokesperson said the documents were private because they were “protected by attorney-client privilege.” 

Shiver’s attorney, Andrew M. Stroth, told FOS that Michigan “should immediately release the findings and recommendations from the $12 million Jenner & Block investigative report. We have been unable to get information regarding this investigation, which is why we filed several FOIAs, and why last week, Ms. Shiver filed a FOIA lawsuit against the University of Michigan. We’re just demanding transparency and accountability.”

Jenner & Block did not immediately provide comment. 

Jenner & Block conducted two separate, but related, investigations into Moore’s conduct and the athletic department’s handling of the situation. The findings raise questions about whether athletic department leadership failed to take proper action on the concerns reported to them.

The investigation found that multiple members of the athletic department, including players and staffers, voiced concerns to athletic department officials about the conduct of Moore and Shiver, the source told FOS. The details were first reported by The Athletic.

The investigation also turned up a letter that Manuel had written in a note in August 2024 that he had told Moore he could not travel with Shiver, the source confirmed. The detail was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

During an interview with Good Morning Americain April, Shiver suggested that the Michigan athletics leadership knew about the affair. “He controlled everything that was going on in my life and they didn’t do anything about it,” she said. 

Another source told FOS in December that the school had received a tip about the relationship and opened an investigation in November., but that there was no actionable evidence until Shiver herself admitted to the affair in December. 

Over the past week, multiple reports surfaced suggesting Michigan would consider whether to part ways with Manuel. The university’s board of regents will convene for a previously scheduled meeting Thursday; there are no plans to have conversations about athletics personnel, according to the source. The university spokesperson had previously said the same to FOS; public meeting minutes also don’t show any conversations scheduled regarding Manuel’s future with the Wolverines.

Manuel said Tuesday during a local radio show that he expects to continue to be Michigan’s athletic director—though he has had conversations about his future. 

The post Michigan Leaders Received Reports of Moore’s Affair, Investigation Finds appeared first on Front Office Sports.

Jul. 14—GRAND FORKS — Brian Idalski is the new head coach at Syracuse University.

The former UND women's hockey coach will take over Syracuse after spending last season as the head coach of expansion Vancouver in the Professional Women's Hockey League.

"Brian Idalski is one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in the sport, and we are thrilled to welcome him, his wife Nicole and their boys to Syracuse," athletic director Bryan Blair said. "His track record speaks for itself — a proven program-builder who wins at every level, from the NCAA to the Olympics. Just as important, he has a track record of developing complete student-athletes who succeed in the classroom and beyond. This is an exciting moment for the future of Syracuse women's ice hockey."

Syracuse went 15-18-4 last season under Britni Smith, who stepped down in April.

Syracuse plays in Atlantic Hockey with Penn State, Delaware, RIT, Mercyhurst, Lindenwood and Robert Morris. The Orange, who have been at the Division-I level since 2008, have reached the NCAA tournament twice — 2019 and 2022.

"Syracuse women's hockey has tremendous potential, and I look forward to building strong relationships and a culture of accountability, development and relentless competitiveness," Idalski said. "Together, we will work to make the Orange a program everyone is proud of."

Idalski spent 10 seasons at UND from 2007-17, turning the program into a national contender.

He recruited Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Kristen Campbell to UND as well as Finnish stars Michelle Karvinen and Susanna Tapani.

The Lamoureux twins are in UND's Hall of Fame. Karvinen will be inducted this fall.

UND cut its program in 2017.

Since then, Idalski has made stops at the prep level (Culver Academy), NCAA level (St. Cloud State), professional level (KRS Vanke Rays, Vancouver) and international level (China, Czechia).

NASHUA — Aiden O’Connell has settled into a summer routine.

The Bedford resident and pitcher starts once a week for the defending New England Collegiate Baseball League champion Keene Swamp Bats. On his off days, O’Connell does mobility training, throwing sessions and watches baseball with his teammates.

“That’s really the best part,” said O’Connell, a lefty who pitched the Swamp Bats to a 2-1 exhibition win over the Nashua Silver Knights of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League on Monday night at Holman Stadium. “It’s been a pleasure being here.”

The seven-inning bout was the first ever between the state’s only summer collegiate baseball teams and the inaugural game of the “Granite State Showdown.” The teams will meet again on Tuesday, July 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Alumni Field in Keene.

O’Connell, who allowed one run and struck out seven over five innings against Nashua, said the routine has been beneficial.

“After a couple weeks or so, you realize, ‘Oh, this is what I do.’ ...and it relieves a lot of pressure on the mound when you’re out there,” said O’Connell, who grew up in Goffstown before his family moved to Bedford before his senior year of high school. “You know you’ve done all the work to be able to succeed.”

The 2023 Gatorade New Hampshire Baseball Player of the Year as a senior at Bedford High, O’Connell played his first season at Duke University this past spring.

The Vanderbilt transfer pitched mostly in relief for the Blue Devils, posting an 0-1 record, seven saves and a 6.67 ERA. O’Connell recorded 34 strikeouts over 27 innings.

With the Swamp Bats, O’Connell has started five games, posting an 0-2 record and 6.14 ERA with 16 strikeouts over 14 2/3 innings.

O’Connell, who played for the Silver Knights in 2023, is part of a new Granite State contingent at Duke.

O’Connell was roommates last year with Swanzey resident and former Swamp Bat Ben Dean, a fellow pitcher and his former AAU baseball teammate. Blue Devils sophomore infielder Will Shaheen is from Portsmouth.

Last season was the first for Manchester’s Corey Muscara as Duke’s head coach. The former Trinity High School star’s coaching staff includes former Southern New Hampshire University coach Scott Loiseau.

“Having those four guys with me,” O’Connell said, “it just makes it much easier knowing that even if you’re from a part of the (country) no one really knows and you get down to the ACC and the SEC, in the back of my mind I know anyone can do it.”

O’Connell considers himself a versatile pitcher. He throws a four-seam fastball, cutter, curveball and a changeup.

Seventh-year Swamp Bats manager Shaun McKenna said O’Connell’s pitching style is like his personality: high energy. McKenna and the coaching staff are working with O’Connell to perfect his changeup.

McKenna is an old-school manager, O’Connell said. When McKenna talks with O’Connell during a mound visit, he’s direct about how he feels O’Connell is pitching.

“That’s the criticism I like,” O’Connell said. “He keeps it very simple — no need to overthink.”

Next season at Duke, O’Connell said he wants to take the mound with confidence and feel like he’s “the guy,” as he has this summer with Keene.

McKenna, an assistant baseball coach at Keene State, said he believes O’Connell, if he makes some strides, can be a starter next spring for Duke.

“If he really works on his command, I think he could be a mid-week or Sunday starter for them. I do,” McKenna said. “He’s definitely a special kid.”

ahall@unionleader.com

As the college football world turns, University of Hawaii head coach Timmy Chang remains grounded in his goals.

“I think college football has changed,” said Chang, who enters his fifth season as the Rainbow Warriors’ leader. “You have to be flexible to build a roster and compete. We’re doing that. We’re a different type of program. We’re in a different location. And that poses different factors and opportunities and challenges that we have to be able to adapt.”

Fifty-four months after inheriting a disheartened program that was in emotional turmoil, Chang is navigating an evolving landscape. The transfer portal has eased the way for players to change schools without interruption. Student-athletes may now profit from use of their name, image and likeness. The House vs. NCAA settlement requires profit sharing up to $20.5 million annually per school. (UH has budgeted $5 million for NILs and profit sharing this coming academic year, with $2.5 million earmarked for football.)

The Rainbow Warriors have been impacted living in a material whirl.

“Jackson Harris is an example,” Chang said of the wideout who received a lucrative NIL deal after transferring to LSU following the 2025 regular season. “I think he loved our program, but he left for the money.”

But the portal is accessible in both directions, and the Warriors were able to find tall and fast transfers to reload the receiver positions.

“We just focus on our program, focus on our staff, focus on getting better,” Chang said. “Those are the things we can control. We focus on building and developing young student-athletes.”

In accepting the UH job in January 2022, Chang emphasized assembling a staff that shared his vision, connecting the program with academic and administrative leaders, and taking great care of his players.

“If we want someone to come into our program, it means something,” Chang said. “You’re taking in somebody’s son. You’re taking in someone who wants to trust you. That’s the biggest thing.”

For Chang, that meant providing educational and nutritional opportunities.

“Five years ago, we fought for feeding our kids and taking care of them,” said Chang, noting such programs as the Braddahhood Grindz and Sodexo provide training tables. “We’re fed year ’round besides the days we’re truly off, like spring break or winter break. We kept them fed.”

With expanded guidelines, every team member, including walk-ons, partakes in the training table.

“Once you’re on our team, you’re part of it,” Chang said.

He also has provided some leeway for youthful mistakes.

“I made it vocal, my biggest problem is we’re very quick to move to the next thing and move off people,” Chang said. “We want to build a program where we can give people second chances to try to do things right. We want to grow and develop and build that trust with them.”

During Chang’s tenure, the pied piper has been quarterback Micah Alejado, who was born and reared on Oahu and became a standout quarterback for national powerhouse Bishop Gorman High of Las Vegas.

“Micah brings a lot to the table for our program, for our state,” Chang said of the third-year Warrior. “He’s able to attract other players, as well. When you talk about receivers wanting to come and play, they want to play with Micah. A guy who left, like Jackson, still wanted to play with Micah. It’s the style of how we recruit. We recruit people. Your talent is your talent. We recruit based on who you are as a person.”

Chang also said that standard holds for his coaches and staff. Chang has reached agreement on a contract extension, although the paper work has not been signed. As part of conversations, Chang strongly proposed rewarding his staff. Last month, the assistant coaches received new contracts — some received two-year deals.

“The most important thing is continuing to build,” Chang said. “When you look at the building part of it, it’s taking care of your coaches. The coaches are an extension of me. I want to make sure we’re taking care of them. And always taking care of the players, whether it’s revenue sharing or NILs or feeding them. That’s the biggest thing.”

The Warriors became a football-only member of the Mountain West in 2012. This month, 15 UH sports joined, making the school essentially a full member. (UH’s men’s volleyball, beach volleyball and water polo teams remain in the Big West because the Mountain West does not sponsor those sports.)

With UH as full member, school president Wendy Hensel has been appointed to the Mountain West’s Board of Directors and the league’s executive committee. Athletic director Matt Elliott will have a greater voice in decisions involving UH. And UH will receive a full share of the league’s national television revenue.

On the football field, the Warriors have a chance to fill the leadership void created by Boise State’s and Fresno State’s departure to the Pac-12.

Chang will continue to call plays for the ever-evolving run-and-shoot offense.

“I think the run-and-shoot is a wrinkle in itself,” Chang said. “It’s an offense about quarterbacks and receivers being on the same page. You start with an offense like that, it becomes challenging (for defenses) to stop.”

Chang also said defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman will continue to reload a scheme in attack mode.

“Dennis has a great understanding of how he wants to attack and what he wants to do,” Chang said. “Complicated or simple, he wants to make his defense attack. This year more than others. You lose (play-making safety) Peter Manuma and you have guys to replace him. There have been guys waiting in the wings ready to step up.”

—

The winner gets to host NCAA Tournament games?

Unfortunately for Lobo fans, it's too late for that, but UNM did announce on Monday it has signed a home-and-home contract with Wichita State for men's basketball — one game this season on Nov. 21 in Kansas and the second on a yet-to-be-determined date in the 2027-28 season in the Pit.

Last week, despite plenty of public sentiment for the six-decade-old Pit to win a bid to host preliminary round games of the newly expanded NCAA Tournament for the next two years, the NCAA chose Wichita State's bid as the winner, citing its geographical advantage being closer to far more schools and fan bases than is Albuquerque.

As for the coming home-and-home basketball series between two of the more traditional top non-power conference programs, Lobos second-year coach Eric Olen has said he’s hopeful it can be a Quad 1 game on the road — a much-coveted distinction as the Lobos move into the newly configured Mountain West comes with the expectation of league play not helping the postseason resume as in years past.

"I think we've been able to put together a good schedule," Olen told reporters last week, prior to the Wichita State game being announced. "St. Mary's and Utah State are kind of marquee home games. And obviously we have New Mexico State at home, so we feel good about the home environments. And then we have a return to Santa Clara. We like that — theoretically a Quad 1 (game). Boise, Oregon State on neutral (courts). ...

"We still have a few games left to get, so we'll see how things play out."

For the Lobos — as the road team this season — Wichita State would have to end the season with a NET ranking in the top 75. The Shockers finished tied for second in the American this past season and with a final NET ranking of 70.

The Lobos finished this past season with a NET of 46.

The schedule so far

Based on records requests and announcements from the schools, the 13-game UNM men's basketball nonconference schedule for this season has nine games locked up, so far, plus two exhibition games:

*

Exhibition: at Oklahoma State, Oct. 11

*

Exhibition: vs. Washington State, Oct. 18 (The Pit)

*

vs. Utah Tech, Nov. 2 (The Pit)

*

vs. Northern Arizona, Nov. 10 (The Pit)

*

at Santa Clara, Nov. 14

*

at Wichita State, Nov. 21

*

vs. Utah State, Nov. 29 (The Pit)

*

vs. New Mexico State, Dec. 5 (The Pit)

*

vs. Saint Mary's, Dec. 12 (The Pit)

*

vs. Boise State, Dec. 21 or 23 (TBD event in California)

*

vs. Oregon State, Dec. 21 or 23 (TBD event in California)

Wanna see?

The Lobo men's basketball team will hold a second open-to-the-public summer practice on July 21 in the Pit.

We're running it back!

Who's ready for another !?

July 21

️ The Pit—Powered by Nusenda

⏰ 6pm#GoLobos pic.twitter.com/lNPJeDliGz

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) July 13, 2026

The event, free to the public, starts at 6 p.m.

There will be an Albuquerque Isotopes game going on that same night with charged parking. Parking at the Pit, for the practice, is free if drivers inform the lot attendant they are there for basketball.

Odds & ends...

• Former Lobo forward Josiah Allick got his first NBA Summer League action Sunday with the Charlotte Hornets. He grabbed one rebound in just 57 seconds on the court and did not take a shot. ...

• Former Lobo Timeo Pons, who transferred this offseason to Abilene Christian, scored a game-high 23 points with 10 rebounds and three steals on Sunday for France's U20 National team in a dominant 95-66 win over Germany in a group stage game in Slovenia. He hit 6-of-9 3-pointers. ...

• The second Eric Olen kids camp of the summer for boys and girls in first through eight grades will be July 27-30 in the Pit.

For more information on attending the camp, contact assistant coach Michael Wilder at mwilder2@unm.edu.

Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.

UCF senior forward Jamichael Stillwell is among 16 college athletes suing the NCAA, seeking an injunction granting them another year of eligibility.

The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of Cobb County, Georgia, is the latest in a series of lawsuits in response to the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility regulation or “5 for 5” rule.

The measure allows athletes to use up to five seasons of eligibility within a five-year window. The clock would begin either immediately after an athlete enrolls at an institution or at the beginning of the academic year following their 19th birthday. Athletes who completed their fourth season during the 2025-26 academic year would not receive an additional year of eligibility.

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Florida attorney Darren Heitner, who is representing the athletes in the case, has been involved in several lawsuits against the NCAA seeking immediate eligibility for athletes. He served as an attorney for Clemson receiver Tristan Smith, who received a temporary injunction against the NCAA from a South Carolina judge in June.

He’s also the attorney for former Kansas defensive end Dean Miller, who is currently seeking an extra year of eligibility, which he hopes to use to play at UCF.

According to the lawsuit, Stillwell’s time at Miami-Dade College and Butler County Community College shouldn’t count against his competition limit and he should be eligible to play during the 2026-27 season.

The lawsuit also states that if he’s granted an additional year of eligibility, Stillwell would return to UCF, which it claims has a roster spot available for him.

If Stillwell receives an injunction and returns to the Knights, it would be a massive boost for a team coming off its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2018-19 season.

The 6-foot-8, 245-pound Georgia native averaged 11.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his only season at UCF. He recorded nine double-doubles last season, including a 10-point, 13-rebound performance against UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Stillwell previously played two seasons at the junior college level before signing with Milwaukee as a junior in 2024-25. He averaged a double-double with 13 points and 10.7 rebounds per game for the Panthers.

He transferred to UCF prior to the 2025-26 season, along with former Milwaukee teammate Themus Fulks.

The Knights’ roster underwent another massive rebuild this offseason. Seniors Riley Kugel, George Beale Jr., Devan Cambridge and Fulks all exhausted their eligibility. Center Jeremy Foumena, guards Kris Parker, Chris Johnson and Poopha Warakulnukroh, and forward Jordan Burks all left via the transfer portal.

Stillwell also entered the portal, but with the caveat that if he could get an additional year of eligibility, he would return to the Knights.

His return would solidify a roster that features returnees John Bol, Carmelo Pacheco and Elijah Hulsewe, along with transfers Cayden Vasko, Arturo Dean, Mister Dean, Dior Johnson, Lewis Walker, Jason Asemota, Dylan Mann, Isaiah Malone, Ladarius Givan, Churchill Abass, Jahda Swann and Tanner Jones.

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

This offseason, University of Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado is routinely clocked at 4:45.

With a lights-outs bedtime of 8:30 p.m., Alejado awakens at 4 in the morning, showers, and then arrives at UH at 4:45. Maybe earlier, never later.

“I try to be the first one there,” Alehado, 21, said of the 6 a.m. start to conditioning drills. “Start warming up my body and get ready for the workout. I’m getting older. The body takes a little bit longer to get warmed up now.”

Entering his third year — and second as QB1 — with the Rainbow Warriors, Alejado has embraced his leadership role.

“I want to set the example,” said Alejado, whose summer schedule is built around the Warriors’ training.

He attended Saturday’s UFC 329 fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where his parents own a home. He is scheduled to travel to Honolulu today, participate in Monday’s morning workout at UH, and then return to Las Vegas that afternoon ahead of this week’s Mountain West Media Days. Alejado, running back Cam Barfield, linebacker Jamih Otis, and nickelback Elijah Palmer will represent the Warriors during Wednesday’s session. All are alumni of Bishop Gorman High School, a national football powerhouse in Las Vegas.

While many high school graduates don’t see each other until their class’ 10th reunion, UH appears to have established a Bishop Gorman alumni association. There are 16 former Gaels on the Warriors’ 2026 active roster. Associate head coach Chris Brown and quarterbacks coach Chad Kapanui also coached at Bishop Gorman.

“Gorman played a huge part in all our lives,” Alejado said. “It’s a scared place. It definitely set us on the right path of life. Looking back on it — our lifestyles, our practice schedules, everything that happened with school and football and off the field — it was preparation for life after high school and going to college. It made the transition so much easier.”

Alejado, in actuality, has been training since his hanabata days in Ewa Beach. His father was a quarterback at Pearl City High. Paul Alejado made his left-handed son also practice throwing with his right hand, just in case. Micah Alejado can accurately throw right-handed passes up to 30 yards.

Galu Tagovailoa, father of Atlanta Falcons’ QB Tua Tagovailoa, was Alejado’s youth-league head coach.

Alejado moved to Las Vegas ahead of his freshman year at Saint Louis School. Jon Amano, a former Hawaii resident who coaches in Las Vegas, taught Alejado the intricacies of the run-and-shoot offense that UH uses. Bishop Gorman’s West Coast offense has run-and-shoot elements.

“At Gorman, we were training already in January and getting ready for the season in August,” Alejado recalled. “Early-morning workouts in the summer. … One-hundred degrees is 100 degrees. It’s not comfortable at all. But it makes you in shape and mentally tough.”

Alejado also has learned to adapt as he ascended the football ladder. At 5 feet 10, Alejado relies on a quick release to escape a defense of 11 angry men. His ability to throw to receivers as they break on their routes comes from post-practice sessions and tireless video studies.

“If you really want to be a mastermind and understand the game to the fullest, you have to take the proper steps to prepare and take a deep dive into the book of football,” Alejado said. “That’s the way I’ve been since I was young. I was in love with the game and the P’s and Q’s and insides and outsides of it.”

Alejado often will watch a play from an NFL telecast, then fire off a text to head coach Timmy Chang, who calls the offensive plays.

“Can we get a variation of what they’re doing into our offense?” Alejado would text.

Last season, Alejado showed grit after being injured in the season-opening victory over Stanford. He was believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain. He declined to undergo advanced testing.

“I didn’t want to know what was wrong,” he said. “I wasn’t going to look at anything until the end of the season or if I couldn’t walk anymore.”

He played the following week, aggravating the injury in the second half. He missed the next two games and, after a bye week, returned against Fresno State and started the remainder of the season.

He did not participate in movement drills ahead of the Hawaii Bowl.

“I was just trying to get the ankle ready for one last game,” he said. “It was pretty surreal how I made it through the season.”

After the victory over California in the Hawaii Bowl, during which he completed 69.6% of his throws for 274 yards and three touchdowns, it was revealed he had endured fractures to his tibia and fibula in his right ankle. The injury did not require surgery.

“I don’t think if it were my left (ankle), I would have played, definitely not,”said Alejado, referencing his push-off foot.

Alejado did not participate in contact drills the past spring training. He was cleared for sprinting in June.

“I think those five, six months helped me a lot,” Alejado said. “It’s been a long road to recovery, one that really tested me. Looking at it now, I’m 100%.”

In this era of easy transfers and lucrative name-image-likeness deals, Alejado opted to stay put.

“Coach Chang has been my No. 1 supporter ever since he gave me a scholarship,” Alejado said. “That means a lot to have a coach who believes in you and trusts you. You’ll find a lot of guys today in college football struggling to find that. People underestimate how grateful I am for having this head coach and culture around me, having my brothers around me. We care about football. I love the culture here. I love the people. I want to win some football games here.”

Alejado regularly treats the offense to lunch. Ahead of training camp, he plans to pick up the tab for a team dinner. This coming Sunday, he is the name sponsor to a youth camp (ages 6-16) at Saint Louis School.

He said he grew up attending football camps and clinics. It was where he met and played catch with Tua Tagovailoa and Marcus Mariota.

“It was fun to meet them and talk football,” Alejado said. “It was big to see how they were as people. I want to do the same.”

—