North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi reportedly traveled to Saudi Arabia in August to pursue fundraising opportunities, according to Pablo Torre.
During the next episode of "Pablo Torre Finds Out" due out Friday, the former ESPN analyst will provide details of the overseas trip involving Lombard weeks before UNC's season opener against TCU.
The report comes amid growing scrutiny around Bill Belichick and UNC's football program. Lombardi joined the staff this offseason when Belichick took over in Chapel Hill. He brought decades of NFL front-office experience, but has faced heat for the recent allegations of a "toxic environment" in Chapel Hill.
On tomorrow’s @pablofindsout…
— Pablo Torre 👀 (@PabloTorre) October 16, 2025
Multiple sources tell me that UNC general manager Mike Lombardi left the team in August, two weeks before the season-opener, to fundraise in Saudi Arabia.
A lot more in the episode beyond that. More to come.
Lombardi's reported trip to Saudi Arabia is part of a growing trend with college football programs seeking new sources of financial support amid escalating competition in NIL funding opportunities. While the purpose has not been fully confirmed, Torre’s reporting suggests Lombardi was exploring international funding opportunities for UNC athletics.
What remains unclear at this point is whether or not the trip involved contact with the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the country’s trillion-dollar sovereign wealth fund known for its growing role in global sports investments.
Lombardi would not be the first college football figure to explore Saudi connections. In August 2024, Sports Illustrated reported that former Colorado special teams coach Trevor Reilly traveled to Saudi Arabia to lobby for NIL partnerships backed by the PIF. Reilly later resigned before the season began, revealing in a resignation letter that his efforts were rejected despite interest from Saudi officials.
"You paid me $90,000 a year and let me handle special teams. … I burned through all my contacts in my Mormon community, which is worth about $3 trillion. Now, I can't get these people to answer my calls because I just found out today that none of my endeavors will happen.
"I even went to Saudi Arabia and got a meeting with the Saudis, who were interested in pursuing business. I have email receipts to prove it, and you guys let it fall flat on its face."
Lombardi’s intent to help North Carolina compete with programs and conferences boasting massive NIL resources is notable. However, reaching beyond American borders for such funding has raised ethical and logistical questions across the college athletics landscape.
North Carolina is 2-3 overall after a bye week. The bad start for Belichick's squad has put a damper on the offseason hype. Despite the setbacks, many believe there could be a turnaround in the second half of the season.
“Our players are committed to getting better,” Lombardi said this week. “We’ve played one ACC game — no one has written off the season.”
Winning solves many problems. For better or worse, Belichick and UNC seem tied down for the long haul and committed to watching this play out until some type of fateful ending. Even as frustrations mount among many involved with the program, the "Big Bill" train goes full steam ahead behind the support of UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham.
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