CHAPEL HILL
Chancellor Lee Roberts said UNC began an investigation into football general manager Michael Lombardi to maintain the school’s “standard of excellence” after learning of “some concerns” last week.
Lombardi was put on administrative leave, as announced by a university spokesman Monday, and on Thursday, the school acknowledged the occurrence of an internal investigation.
Roberts said if the probe reveals wrongdoing, the university “will be sure to fix it.” But he added that he is disappointed to even be discussing the topic at this point in the year, weeks ahead of the start of fall classes and on the start day of preseason football camp began.
Reporters were told repeatedly by senior communications officials at UNC to limit questions about the football program during a question-and-answer session with Roberts at this week’s Board of Trustees meeting. But, after 15 minutes of questions, as senior director of media relations Kevin Best announced the chancellor would take no more, Roberts said he had just one more thing to add.
“We should be focusing on our student athletes and on their success on the field and on all of the wonderful things that happen at this university every day,” Roberts said, “providing opportunities for students from every nook and cranny of North Carolina, and so it’s distressing to me and everyone else in the administration entrusted with leadership at this remarkable university that (the Lombardi investigation) is something that we have to spend time on.”
Football program has ‘made adjustments’
ESPN reported that the investigation into Lombardi began after a complaint by a former UNC front office employee. The Athletic wrote that the College Sports Commission has “approached” UNC for an investigation, with Lombardi’s “actions believed to be of interest.”
UNC referred the News & Observer to its Monday statement on Lombardi’s leave when approached for comment on the CSC investigation. The CSC said it did not confirm nor deny the occurrence of investigations when it declined to comment.
Lombardi is earning $1.5 million a year at UNC, the highest among college general managers with publicly reported salaries.
Coach Bill Belichick said Thursday that there were “adjustments” made behind the scenes regarding the handling of Lombardi’s duties during his leave. He declined to comment on the CSC investigation.
“We’re working through some things,” Belichick said. “We’re at a particular time of year now where there are certain things that are in play, and certain things that aren’t in play that won’t happen until later in the calendar year at some other points. So, we’re taking it day to day and work through the things that are on the table now.”
Roberts discusses UNC athletics’ budget deficit
Roberts also addressed UNC’s $15 million deficit in the 2024-25 athletics budget despite a record-setting revenue fiscal year, noting that costs for athletics have skyrocketed in recent years.
He said those rising expenses related to college sports are the reason the school has endorsed the Protect College Sports Act — a bipartisan bill that seeks to reform name, image and likeness, transfer and other regulations.
“(The bill is) not perfect,” Roberts said, “but we think it’s an important step forward in trying to bring some more rationality and some more predictability to athletics budgets, which are, as I say, on an unsustainable path.“
Roberts added that football and basketball pay for themselves, but no longer cover the expenses of the remaining 26 teams.
“I always come back to the formulation that Dean Smith I think first said,” Roberts said, “which is athletics is the front porch of the university. It’s not the most important part, but it’s easily the most visible part.”
This story was originally published July 30, 2026 at 12:03 PM.
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Jane Winik Sartwell
The News & Observer
Jane Winik Sartwell covers higher education for The News & Observer.
