North Carolina’s internal football investigation came with a hefty price tag: more than $914,000, according to documents obtained by WRAL and other media outlets through public records requests.
That probe ended with the resignations of general manager Michael Lombardi and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, and it stretched from July 30 to Sept. 17.
UNC opened the investigation three days after announcing that Lombardi had been placed on paid administrative leave. Lombardi later resigned, and the university ultimately announced Belichick’s resignation as well.
“The investigation determined that certain actions demonstrated a disregard for Carolina’s values and standards of conduct,” the university announced. “The investigation also found that these actions were isolated in scope and not a systemic failure.”
Three firms - K&L Gates, Williams Mullen and Barnes & Thornburg - billed the university for their work. Barnes & Thornburg accounted for more than $821,000 of the total, with nearly 200 hours logged by lead investigator Nate Huff and nearly 300 hours from partner McNair Nichols. Sixteen employees at the firm recorded more than 1,000 total hours on the matter, and the firm’s more than $15,000 in expenses were included in that figure.
“Our job was to do what we always do, which is to do an impartial and independent investigation,” Huff told WRAL, The Associated Press and The Assembly after the investigation’s conclusion. “That’s why people hire us, and so that’s what we did here.
Our scope was broad, so we looked into a lot of stuff. This was not a circumstance where we were targeting any individual person or any specific people.
We were looking program-wide, football program-wide.”
UNC’s contract with Barnes & Thornburg said the firm was brought in to provide legal advice and counseling “regarding the culture and compliance of the UNC-CH football program,” and that interviews would be conducted with current and former personnel. Huff said more than 60 interviews were done, including at least one with Bill Belichick.
Williams Mullen was hired to advise on possible litigation or employment law issues tied to the Lombardi investigation.
The school said the probe began because of concerns raised by “a limited number of former employees,” according to general counsel Paul Newton in September. Investigators examined allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships among staffers and others in the program, possible drug use, NCAA violations and the broader workplace environment.
“Another example or another question that’s raised is the work environment within the football program,” Huff said. “Is it a safe and respectful environment?
Do the young people who work there have good supervision and mentorship and all of that? The questions you’re asking get to that, too, which might be more important than who’s sleeping with who.”
Bill Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as head coach of the New England Patriots, took the UNC job in December 2024. Lombardi, who helped behind the scenes in that hiring, was one of Belichick’s first hires and became the highest-paid general manager in college football at $1.5 million.
After the investigation wrapped up, Chancellor Lee Roberts said the school still stood behind Belichick.
“Coach Belichick continues to have our support, the support of the administration and of the board [of trustees],” Roberts said. “He understands that support comes with expectations around conduct and behavior. Nobody understands that better than Coach Belichick.”
UNC leadership also said it would review any new allegations if they surface.
In Other News...
UNC Staff Shakeup Looks Even Worse After Damaging Investigation
North Carolina footballs internal investigation into alleged misconduct inside the program has already left a costly mark, with the school spending nearly $1 million on the inquiry. What began as a behind-the-scenes review has now spilled into public view, exposing allegations that included improper sexual relationships and drug use and forcing the program to confront a messy stretch that has already cost it two prominent staff members.
Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and general manager Michael Lombardi both resigned in the wake of the probe, a sign of how seriously the findings landed inside the building. The investigation concluded that some actions crossed the programs standards, even if they were not deemed systemic, leaving UNC with the uncomfortable task of trying to move forward while the fallout from the review still hangs over the football operation. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Is Chasing A 5-Star Guard With Huge Class Implications
North Carolina has already landed one major piece for its future backcourt with a commitment from five-star recruit Demarcus Henry in the class of 2027, and now the Tar Heels are keeping close tabs on another elite guard who could reshape that same cycle. Brady Pettigrew, a five-star combo guard in the class of 2028, has emerged as a name to watch after visiting Chapel Hill, giving UNC a chance to stay in the mix with one of the most coveted young guards in the country.
The wrinkle is Pettigrews timeline, since a possible reclassification to 2027 would instantly put him on the same board as Henry and give North Carolina a chance to stack elite talent in one class. Multiple top programs are chasing Pettigrew, so the Tar Heels are not alone in this pursuit, but the combination of his recent visit and the possibility of an accelerated path makes this one worth monitoring closely for what it could mean for UNCs long-term roster build. [Read more 🡒]
Touted UNC Freshman Suddenly Out Of Team Activities After Serious Crash
North Carolina freshman defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland Jr. has been away from team activities since a single-car crash in Chatham County on Sept. 17, a development that adds another layer of uncertainty to a player who has not yet appeared this season. Court records show Cleveland was cited for speeding, unsafe passing and failure to maintain lane control, and he was found responsible for those charges.
For the Tar Heels, the situation leaves one of their young defensive linemen on the sideline and unavailable on ACC availability reports while the program waits for the matter to play out. Cleveland had been a touted addition to the roster, but for now his focus is clearly away from football, and there is no indication he is back in the teams daily routine. [Read more 🡒]