The University of Michigan and embattled athletic director Warde Manuel have agreed to a buyout of the remaining years on his contract and he will step down at the end of the year, culminating a decade-long run with four national championships and a string of scandals. The school said Monday the decision was tied to investigations into former football coach Sherrone Moore's relationship with his executive assistant and a probe into the athletic department's culture. Manuel led a department behind this year's men's basketball title and a football program that won the 2023 national championship, but that wasn't enough for him to keep his job. Manuel fired Moore following a law firm's investigation into a relationship he had with a subordinate, and the school later chose to widen the look into the department; a law firm was paid about $12 million to do the work. Manuel previously spoke to Moore and the woman about their relationship, both denied it was inappropriate and he went through their school-issued cellphones and email accounts unable to find anything that would allow him to fire Moore for cause, people familiar with the situation previously told The Associated Press. The 58-year-old Manuel, who played football for the Wolverines under the late Bo Schembechler and was on the track team, was hired to lead the department on Jan. 29, 2016. He signed a contract extension at Michigan in 2024 that was set to run through June 2030. He led a department with an annual budget of about $250 million, 29 teams, 950-plus athletes and about 400 staff members. "Every day, I am thankful to work at this great institution and to represent Michigan Athletics," Manuel said in December 2024. The Wolverines won the national championship in football under former coach Jim Harbaugh as a sign-stealing scandal loomed over the program and Moore's tenure. They won it all in men's basketball earlier this year with coach Dusty May, who later left to lead the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. Michigan also won men's and women's gymnastics national titles under Manuel. The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame gave Manuel the John L. Toner Award in 2024, honoring him for demonstrating superior administrative abilities and dedication to college athletics, especially football. He represented Michigan and the Big Ten as member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee and was chair during the 2004 season when the 12-team playoff format kicked off. Manuel, who is from New Orleans, previously served as athletic director at UConn and Buffalo after working in Michigan's athletic department in various roles from 1996 to 2005. Reporting by The Associated Press.

The Tigers ace is the hottest commodity on the market leading up to Aug. 3, but his availability isn't a sure thing

The Minnesota Vikings' defense remains the backbone of their team under the direction of coordinator Brian Flores. The play of their secondary has long been the part they rely on most, but in today's NFL, the linebacking unit needs to be more loaded than ever before. The team brought back Eric Wilson in free agency and still has Blake Cashman, but could they add more?Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox went through and listed the best NFL free agents still available and attached them to new teams. In the case of linebacker Kyle Van Noy, Knox thought he would be a welcome addition to the Vikings' aggressive defense. He writes, "Veteran defender Kyle Van Noy has always been a bit flexible during his 12-year NFL career. He was largely an all-around linebacker during his time with the Patriots, and he's been more of a pass-rush specialist over the last three seasons with the Ravens. In three seasons with Baltimore, Van Noy recorded 23.5 sacks and54quarterback pressures. Because of his experience and positional versatility, Van Noy could fit with a number of defenses as a free agent."Having Van Noy play the role that Ivan Pace Jr. had been playing in that middle and edge hybrid role could result in better outcomes than they have seen prior. Van Noy could also help contain the talented running backs in the division, such as D'Andre Swift, Josh Jacobs, and Jahmyr Gibbs. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings suggested to sign a veteran linebacker ahead of training camp

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Anyone who has followed the NASCAR Cup Series knows never to count out Joey Logano. And that is especially true at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Logano, who won the All-Star Race at the track in 2024, dominated the first points race at the historic 0.625-mile asphalt oval in 30 years by leading 323 of the 450 laps on his way to his first victory in 2026. Here are my takeaways: 1. Logano Bursting Bubble Logano was eight points behind The Chase cutoff entering the race. Thanks to the victory, he now sits 49 points to the good, with five races remaining before NASCARs postseason field is set. The Team Penske driver and three-time Cup champion has had a bad year. His season now has a new life. "It's been a tough year, no doubt," Logano said in his post-race news conference. "Any time you kind of lack in speed, you start to question a lot of things around you, what the process is, what we're doing, yourself. All those things come to mind on why there's not speed. "When you come to a track like North Wilkesboro, if we didn't have speed, we'd really be scratching our heads because we feel like this is our best racetrack." 2. Denny Hamlin's Solid Second Denny Hamlin certainly wished he could have won, but his second-place finish now gives him a 68-point lead on Tyler Reddick for the regular-season title. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver ran second to Logano and had hoped that pitting one lap earlier than Logano would be what he needed (with the extra grip of new tires) to get by. But it wasnt good enough and Logano didnt seem to have too much trouble keeping Hamlin at bay. "There was a lot of time where it felt like my car was kind of close where it needed to be [but] just a smidge off," Hamlin said on the race telecast. "It was a great battle. At least we could keep him honest there." 3. Todd Gilliland The Millionaire? The in-season tournament final round is set and it will be Todd Gilliland vs. Ryan Blaney racing for the $1 million prize that will be awarded to whoever finishes best next Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gilliland? Yup. Gilliland has advanced through the NASCAR version of an in-season tournament, and an eighth-place finish won his matchup with Chase Elliott, who finished 17th. Elliott was among those who short-pitted in the second stage (pitting before they needed fuel but to get enough fuel to make it to the end of the stage) and ended up a lap or two down when the caution came out. Gilliland had not pitted. "I was definitely very proud of the strategy and kind of the way we executed the whole race," Gilliland said after the race, according to a Ford news release. "That was probably about as good as it could have gone.Its crazy. "Weve got to beat one more guy for a million dollars." 4. Surprise! SVG Finishes Fifth Shane van Gisbergen finished a surprising fifth and even led laps at North Wilkesboro. Known for his road-course prowess, van Gisbergen said his road-course technique could work at the short track. "Its a bit like a road course," he said, according to a Chevrolet news release. "I tried right-foot braking for a bit. "Half of the race, I right-foot braked and I just feel comfortable doing that. Its a real balanced track and you can really affect the car with your driving technique, so I felt comfortable doing that." 4 . Whats Next: Indianapolis One of the biggest races of the season, the Brickyard 400, is next up for NASCAR Cup teams. The race is the 22nd of the 26 regular-season competitions. And drivers are jockeying for position as it comes before an off-weekend the last off-weekend prior to a 14-race stretch to finish the season.