Lombardi was hired in December 2024 to work as GM alongside new head coach Bill Belichick.
The I-Team has confirmed that Lombardi took a preseason fundraising trip to Saudi Arabia.
In a statement to ABC11, Dean Stoyer, UNC Vice Chancellor for Communications & Marketing, confirmed that Lombardi "did travel to Saudi Arabia at the request of a Saudi national who is a college football fan, interested in supporting Coach Belichick."
The university also said Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) was "not involved" in Lombardi's trip.
PIF has been called out by human rights groups and congressional leaders who point to the Saudi government's human-rights violations, its ties to the 9/11 attacks, and the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi crown prince.
The PIF owns a minority stake in Disney, the parent company of ABC11.
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