It has been a tough time for the Michigan Wolverines regarding their former head football coach, Sherrone Moore, as he continues to cost them millions in a way, even after he was fired by the university. For Michigan, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. 

The Big Ten conference pays off with a record $1.37 billion distribution to all the schools that are a part of the conference. 

The investigation into the probe of Sherrone Moore and the athletic department cost the university upwards of $11 million, but the payouts received from the Big Ten could offset that number. That nine-figure number of $1.37 billion is set to be split between the 18 member schools that are a part of the conference. 

Except for Oregon and Washington, all the schools will get $72 million per school. The Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies get a reduced share as they are the conference’s newest additions. 

This is a record for the Big Ten conference, and it is the largest distribution in league history and a $490 million increase from the last fiscal year. 

"The distributions provide meaningful support to institutions in their continued effort to provide broad-based athletic opportunities to more than 14,000 Big Ten student-athletes," a league-issued statement read.

It has been a good year for the Big Ten conference as a whole. The Indiana Hoosiers won the college football championship, part of the Big Ten.

The Michigan Wolverines won the March Madness basketball tournament and ended a 26-year drought for a team from the Big Ten to win the title. And the UCLA Bruins won the women’s March Madness title, another Big Ten school. 

Now, with the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments likely expanding to 76 teams and football mostly heading toward a 24-team format, the money is expected to keep on flowing. 

How Does This Help the Michigan Wolverines?

The University of Michigan hired outside counsel, a Chicago-based law firm, Jenner & Block, on November 13, 2025, to investigate the relationship between Moore and his ex-staffer Paige Shiver. 

The initial number was at $10 million, but that number has now touched $11.5 million. Getting a check of $72 million from the Big Ten conference will help balance the books. 

On the other side, Sherrone Moore was the first domino to fall, as there will be more people who will also get the boot. The relationship between Moore and Shiver lasted for four years and was apparently “encouraged” by the members of the university’s athletic department. 

The relationship was characterized as an open secret, and the leadership was well aware of it.

Where do you think the Wolverines need to focus their finances first?

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Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi