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EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 29: Athletic Director J Batt of the Michigan State Spartans walks off the field after a college football game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Spartan Stadium on August 29, 2025 in East Lansing, Michigan. The Michigan State Spartans won the game 23-6. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Although his appointment was announced on June 2, J Batt was formally approved as Michigan State’s athletic director one year ago today – on June 13, 2025. He officially began his duties on June 17. Unfortunately, we may have to wonder how much longer Batt will remain in East Lansing given that the person who hired him has announced his departure from Michigan State while citing friction with the MSU Board of Trustees.
Instead of focusing on that, however, we’re taking a look back at what Batt has accomplished in his first 365 days in East Lansing. Let’s start with a brief look at what he did before becoming a Spartan.
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Previous experience
Michigan State hired Batt away from Georgia Tech, where he had been the Yellow Jackets’ AD since 2022. According to Batt’s bio on msuspartans.com:
In each of Batt’s two full years guiding the department at Georgia Tech, 14 of 17 varsity programs earned a spot in postseason competition, and the football team earned back-to-back bowl berths for the first time since 2013-14, marking the program’s first appearance in the Associated Press Top 25 in nine years. In 2024-25, Georgia Tech was one of just nine schools nationally that earned postseason berths in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, softball and baseball.
Batt also promoted current Georgia Tech head football coach Brent Key from the interim position in 2023. In his three full seasons leading the program, Key has gone 27-20 overall and 20-11 in the ACC. Tech went 9-4 last season and finished tied for second place in the ACC before falling to #12 BYU in the Pop Tarts bowl.
In addition to Georgia Tech’s overall competitive success, it was perhaps Batt’s fundraising ability that caught the attention of MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz. Batt’s bio goes on to state:
During his tenure, the institution broke records in athletic fundraising, surpassing the previous records by more than 40%; set a new record for academic success with a 94% graduation rate; renovated and built facilities (including construction of The Dr. Thomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center and planned renovation of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field); enhanced the gameday experiences for Yellow Jacket fans; and spearheaded corporate sponsorships to provide transformative revenue for athletics.
While at Georgia Tech, Batt also provided national leadership in serving on the House Settlement implementation committee.
Prior to Georgia Tech, Batt worked as the chief revenue officer for Alabama, where he earned the endorsement of Nick Saban, as well as serving in athletic administration roles at East Carolina, Maryland, James Madison, William & Mary, and North Carolina. Batt was a member of UNC’s 2001 national championship soccer team and it was in Chapel Hill where he gained his connection to Guskiewicz. Before becoming UNC’s Chancellor, Michigan State’s outgoing President was a neuroscientist and sports medicine researcher while Batt was a student-athlete for the Tar Heels.
Since taking over the athletic department at Michigan State, Batt’s two headlining moves have been hiring Pat Fitzgerald as head football coach and launching Spartan Ventures to help bring MSU into the modern era of athletic fundraising.
Goodbye Jonathan Smith, welcome Pat Fitzgerald
The day after MSU finished two seasons with Jonathan Smith on the sideline and a 9-15 record, it was announced that the Spartans were closing the chapter on the Smith era. Later that same day, November 30, 2025, reports started to come out that Michigan State was finalizing the hire of Pat Fitzgerald, the former longtime Northwestern coach, who had seen some significant successes in Evanston, but hadn’t coached college football since 2022.
Fitzgerald led the Wildcats to 10-3 seasons in 2012 and 2017. Northwestern also won the Big Ten West Division title in 2018 and 2020 in addition to claiming victories in the Holiday (2018) and Citrus (2020) Bowls. The 2020 Wildcats finished the covid-shortened season ranked #10 in both the AP and Coaches polls.
While Northwestern certainly made the most of covid year, they began to struggle mightily after that. Fitzgerald went a combined 4-20 overall and 2-16 in the Big Ten in 2021 and 2022.
Significantly worse than the on-field results were hazing allegations that started to surface within the Northwestern program in November, 2022. Fitzgerald was initially suspended by NU President Michael Schill on July 7, 2023 before being terminated three days later amidst fallout from the scandal.
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Fitzgerald, however, was later cleared of wrongdoing and reached an undisclosed settlement with Northwestern. The university acknowledged that extensive discovery revealed that Fitzgerald was not aware of and did not direct or condone the hazing. Schill ultimately resigned as the university’s president.
Batt announced Fitzgerald’s hiring on December 1, 2025, just two days after the season-ending game against Maryland. Although he never revealed the timeline or conversations leading up to the hire, it became clear that Batt was capable of planning and conducting a discreet search and getting his man.
Also, unlike Alan Haller before him, who supposedly hired Smith largely on his own, Batt appears to have sought the buy-in from key Spartan backers when bringing in Fitzgerald.
Spartan Ventures
According to MSU, Spartan Ventures is a modernized, nonprofit fundraising and commercialization arm for Michigan State University Athletics, designed to operate with the flexibility of a private business. It is scheduled to formally launch on July 1 with Executive Deputy AD Jon Palumbo serving as CEO while a seven member board provides strategic and financial oversight.
Spartan Ventures will be tasked with maximizing revenue-generating opportunities, managing commercial and broadcast media rights, and expanding Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) support for student-athletes.
It is backed by a $100 million private investment from Acrisure CEO Greg Williams and his wife, Dawn. The Spartan Ventures investment was part of an overall $401 million commitment to the university from the Williamses’.
Facilities Development and “FOR SPARTA”
Under Haller, MSU had released plans for a Spartan Gateway District development project at the corner of South Harrison and Trowbridge Roads. The Gateway District was to feature a 6000 seat Olympic Sports arena but has now been significantly scaled back, with plans for the new arena eliminated. According to the State News, the public-private development partnership will now focus on private facilities, retail space, a hotel, and alumni/student housing.
Instead, Batt appears to be focusing his facility improvement plans on Spartan Stadium, with a $500 million renovation of the 103 year old facility. This is part of a broader $1 billion “FOR SPARTA” athletics initiative.
According to Fox 47 News, who produced this video summarizing the plans, the stadium renovation will primarily overhaul the East side, modernize concourses, update restrooms and concessions, and add premium seating. Final Board approval is tentatively set for fall, 2027 with construction to begin immediately after the 2027 football season. Renovations are expected to be completed in time for the 2029 season, with MSU playing in Spartan Stadium throughout the renovation process, similar to what Penn State is doing at Beaver Stadium.
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While the Spartan Stadium renovation is in the early stages, Spartan Tennis was just dedicated as the new home for the MSU men’s and women’s tennis programs on May 21. A $10 million gift from Joan Secchia Nowak, which predated Batt’s tenure at MSU, made the new facility possible.
Personnel Moves
In addition to making the leadership change in the football program, Batt also needed to make a change in the men’s tennis program. He promoted assistant coach Mike Flowers after Harry Jadun moved on from coaching after a Big Ten championship season.
Batt has also extended the contracts of several head coaches at MSU. In one of his first official acts as MSU’s AD, Batt announced a five year contract extension for hockey coach Adam Nightingale on June 13, 2025. Baseball’s Jake Boss received an extension in February that will keep him at MSU through 2029. Boss just completed his 18th year leading the Spartans. After five straight NCAA regional finals appearances, gymnastics coach Mike Rowe was also extended through 2029. And, after a successful first year leading the volleyball program, Kristen Kelsay was extended through 2031.
Finally, Batt has introduced several new faces to the athletic department administration. Palumbo, in charge of Spartan Ventures, started at MSU on July 7, 2025. Deputy AD and Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer Jared Koznin began his duties in September. Batt has also brought in Deputy AD for Development & Strategic Initiatives Tim House from Purdue.
It’s been a busy and productive first year for Batt at Michigan State and we here at TOC wish him continued success in year two, should he decide to remain with the Green & White. Guskiewicz’s departure must present some level of concern, but Batt is also in the midst of some projects that could define his career. It might be tough to walk away from that despite not knowing who his next boss will be and how that person will view athletics.
Board Chairperson Brianna Scott stated of Batt:
“My understanding is he’s still on board. (Batt) actually has participated or sent someone on his behalf for meetings, etc. He’s still working. And so I don’t anticipate any changes. Certainly, I don’t have a crystal ball, but we’ll deal with those as they become something that we have to deal with. But until now, I think status quo, and he’s continuing to do the work.”
However, according to Connor Earegood of the Detroit News, Scott also noted that the Board has not spoken directly to Batt on the subject because he reports directly to Guskiewicz, not the Trustees. Earegood also notes three AD openings as of now, at Purdue, Wisconsin, and Virginia Tech.
What say you, TOC? What grade would you give Batt is his first year as MSU AD? Given President Guskiewicz’s departure, will Batt decide to remain at MSU? Please indicate in the comments.
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