The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has retained an external law firm to conduct an investigation into allegations within its football program, a university spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.
Nathan Huff and McNair Nichols, both former partners at the law firm K&L Gates who recently moved to Barnes & Thornburg, will lead the process. Wes Camden, a partner at Williams Mullen, will act as an advisor.
“We want this to be thorough, right, and expedient, and we trust Nate to do that,” said Dean Stoyer, UNC-CH’s vice chancellor of communications and marketing.
Paul Newton, the university’s general counsel, will oversee the process, Stoyer said.
The university announced on July 27 that Michael Lombardi, the general manager of the football program, was placed on paid administrative leave, but it has not provided any specifics about the allegations against him, citing confidential personnel information. The Athletic and other outlets reported that the suspension stemmed from a human resources complaint and that the College Sports Commission, an independent body established in 2025 to oversee revenue sharing and name, image, and likeness deals, was separately looking into the university.
A commission spokesperson declined to comment.
UNC-CH hired Huff and Nichols last year to investigate its School of Civic Life and Leadership after a series of high-profile conflicts among its faculty. As The Assembly reported at the time, Huff has connections with North Carolina’s political powers: He previously represented General Assembly leaders while working at two separate firms. Newton, the university’s general counsel, served in the state Senate until resigning to take his position at UNC-CH.
Camden has represented UNC-CH in an ongoing lawsuit over the report Huff and Nichols produced about their civics school investigation. The Assembly and five other media outlets sued UNC-CH after the university refused public records requests for the report, citing personnel information as well as attorney-client privilege.
At a hearing Tuesday, a Superior Court judge said he would review the report himself before issuing a ruling.
Stoyer declined to comment on whether the findings of the football investigation will be made public.
