Kentucky Hires J Batt as Athletic Director, Potentially Halving Michigan State Buyout to $2.5 Million
Updated
Updated · Detroit News · Jun 15
Kentucky Hires J Batt as Athletic Director, Potentially Halving Michigan State Buyout to $2.5 Million
3 articles · Updated · Detroit News · Jun 15
Summary
J Batt left Michigan State after just one year to become Kentucky’s athletic director and CEO of Champions Blue, leaving the Spartans without a permanent AD as they also replace outgoing president Kevin Guskiewicz.
A contract clause tied to Guskiewicz’s May departure to Clemson may cut Batt’s buyout from $5 million to $2.5 million, though Guskiewicz remains at MSU for now and the final amount is unclear.
The exit deepens instability at Michigan State, which has had seven athletic directors since 1995 and will be hiring its third since 2021 once it names a new president.
Batt had driven major projects including Spartan Ventures’ July 1 launch, a $1 billion fundraising campaign, a $500 million stadium renovation plan and a $401 million donor commitment.
Spartan Ventures also fueled friction with trustees over transparency, and MSU officials say the new revenue arm is still moving forward despite the leadership upheaval.