Warde Manuel, University of Michigan’s Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics, oversees an athletic department that sponsors 29 varsity teams with more than 950 student-athletes and around 400 staff members. To run it, the former collegiate athlete relies on more than just his 30 years of experience in athletic departments. Warde also leans on his MBA. In this episode of the Smart Business Dealmakers Podcast, sponsored by Old National Bank, the official bank of the Big Ten Conference, Warde talks about hiring top talent, maintaining culture, funding in the age of NIL, and how much running an athletic department is like running a business.