Michigan State athletic director J Batt leaving for Kentucky

Michigan State can officially start its search for a new athletic director.

Kentucky Athletics announced on Monday, June 15, that J Batt has been hired as the school's athletic director and as the CEO of Champions Blue, its for-profit NIL arm. Batt's move to Kentucky comes after just one year in East Lansing. Michigan State officially hired Batt away from Georgia Tech on June 2, 2025.

“Across these institutions, J has distinguished himself as a record-breaker in fundraising and as a leader who strategically invests in facilities to maximize resources and revenue,” UK President Eli Capilouto said in a statement Monday. “As important, he has remained focused on ensuring student-athletes compete at the highest levels while being prepared for lives of meaning and purpose.”

Batt's decision to leave comes amid turmoil within MSU’s Board of Trustees and upper leadership, as MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz last month accepted the president position at Clemson. He does not have a timeline for his departure from East Lansing.

Batt’s six-year, $12.6 million-plus contract with MSU had a provision that cuts his buyout to take another job in half if Guskiewicz was no longer MSU’s president.

Guskiewicz and Batt have a long history together, meeting while the two were at North Carolina, when Batt was a student and soccer player and Guskiewicz was a doctor doing concussion research. Guskiewicz, a native of Pittsburgh suburb Latrobe, eventually returned to Chapel Hill and served as chancellor at UNC from 2019-24. Batt – who grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia – worked at a several schools, including Alabama and Maryland.

With its athletic director preparing to leave, Michigan State had an announcement of its own on Monday morning, revealing it will wear corporate jersey patches on all of its teams uniforms this fall.

The school on Monday announced a 10-year partnership with MSUFCU (Michigan State University Federal Credit Union) that also will placed on Spartan football helmets. The deal also will have athletes wearing the company’s logo on practice attire.

An hour later, Kentucky announced it had hired Batt as its new athletic director, with Batt leaving MSU after a little more than a year. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Batt will receive a six-year contract to become the Wildcats' athletic director.

On the jersey patch front, Jon Palumbo, executive deputy athletic director/chief operating officer and Spartan Ventures CEO, in a statement called MSUFCU “a longtime trusted partner” of MSU’s athletic department. That includes the banking group’s sponsorship of the club level seating at Spartan Stadium and the “Women of Sparta” sponsorship of women’s athletic programs. According to a release, as part of this new agreement, MSUFCU also will work to develop financial education programming for Spartan student-athletes.

“This patch is a symbol of our rooted history and aligned strategic vision,” Palumbo said. “It also amplifies the continued momentum of our department in the new landscape of college athletics.”

The school announced an 11 a.m. news conference to discuss the partnership. However, missing from the release are any quotes from or mention of Batt or outgoing MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz.

It is unlikely Batt will be at the news conference at Spartan Stadium on Monday morning after his new job was announced. Guskiewicz announced in late May he is leaving MSU to take the president position at Clemson, but a timeline for his departure or start date as his new job has not yet been determined.

MSUFCU also was a sponsor of the 46th annual Detroit Free Press Marathon in October.

Contact Chris Solari:[email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.

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