David Jesse and Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press

Dave Brandon is expected to resign as the athletic director of the University of Michigan, a source with first-hand knowledge of the plan told the Free Press.

U-M President Mark Schlissel called a 1:30 p.m. news conference this afternoon. The source told the Free Press that U-M will announce that Brandon is out as athletic director.

Other sources – all with first-hand knowledge of plans – said that athletic department staff has been told that Brandon is resigning. They did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to talk publicly about the situation.

ESPN also reported that Brandon will resign. Brandon did not respond to the Free Press' attempts to reach him this morning.

Earlier this month, Schlissel said he was taking a deliberative approach to evaluating the athletic department and Brandon, who has been under intense fire from critics for his handling of the athletic department.

Some students, alumni and fans – growing more vocal by the month – have been upset with Brandon for some time. A survey of students early this month suggested that his relationship with them was irreparable. This week, the official alumni association ran a web post on its site rounding up comments critical of Brandon. And fans renewed their calls for his head after a popular blog reported this week on several rude emails it said were sent by Brandon to fans.

It appears Brandon has lost the support of major donors as well. Stephen Ross, the biggest donor to the athletic department, appeared to backtrack on previous comments supporting Brandon. Earlier this week, Ross told the Wall Street Journal that he would not stand in the way of Brandon's departure.

The majority of the eight-member Board of Regents has favored firing Brandon, with only the board's two Republicans supporting him. Before he became athletic director, Brandon, 62, was a prominent Republican who served one term as a regent and was considered a possible candidate for governor.

The tensions between board members and Brandon came to a head during a July board meeting when he asked for approval to shoot fireworks after games at Michigan Stadium. Board members took turns criticizing the move, saying it was cheapening the traditional game-day experience. Brandon played football under Bo Schembechler in the 1970s.

Board members also were upset Brandon did not show up for the public portion of the meeting, instead having a university facilities employee answer questions.

Multiple board members lobbied Schlissel to fire Brandon.

Andrea Fischer Newman, a Republican board member, was on the opposite side. She told the media after this month's regents meeting she thought Brandon was doing a good job, when looking at the totality of the department.

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj.

Sports writer Shawn Windsor contributed to this story.