Updated

Updated · WILX · Jul 6

Guskiewicz Reverses Clemson Move, Stays at Michigan State After 2 Months of Board Turmoil

Updated

Updated · WILX · Jul 6

Guskiewicz Reverses Clemson Move, Stays at Michigan State After 2 Months of Board Turmoil

Q: With the president staying, will the departing AD's buyout now double to a staggering $5 million?

Possibly, but it is not confirmed. Batt’s Michigan State contract reportedly included a clause cutting his buyout from $5 million to $2.5 million if Kevin Guskiewicz was no longer MSU’s president. When Guskiewicz initially announced he was leaving for Clemson, that appeared to set up the lower figure. Now that Guskiewicz has reversed course and is staying at Michigan State, the logic of that clause suggests Batt’s buyout could revert to the original $5 million. That is why the financial impact is suddenly back in question. But no school has publicly confirmed the final number. Reports note Batt’s last day at MSU is still unclear, and Michigan State has not clarified whether the triggering event was Guskiewicz’s announcement, his formal departure, or his actual status at the time Batt leaves. Until MSU or Kentucky confirms how the contract language is being applied, the buyout cannot be stated definitively. So the short answer is: it may return to $5 million, but as of now that remains unresolved rather than settled.

3 articles · Updated · WILX · Jul 6

Kevin Guskiewicz told the MSU community he will remain president, reversing his May decision to leave for Clemson and apologizing for adding to campus uncertainty.
Weeks of reflection and talks with trustees helped drive the reversal, with Guskiewicz saying the board committed to a stronger governance structure and ethics reforms.
Clemson said July 6 that its board had been notified Guskiewicz would stay at Michigan State for personal reasons and would soon decide next steps in its presidential search.
The turnaround follows Guskiewicz’s earlier warning that conflict within MSU’s Board of Trustees had created an “unsustainable situation,” making leadership stability a central issue for the university.