Kentucky targeting Michigan State’s J Batt to be next athletic director

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

Michigan State athletic director J Batt speaks during the introductory press conference for new football coach Pat Fitzgerald on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Tom Izzo Football Building in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The University of Kentucky may have found its next athletic director as Mitch Barnhart prepares to retire on June 30. According to Ross Dellenger, Kentucky has zeroed in on Michigan State athletic director J Batt to take the same position in Lexington.

Batt hasn’t been with the Spartans very long, as he was hired back in June 2025 as the school’s next vice president and athletic director after previously serving in that role at Georgia Tech from 2022-25.

Here are some key points from Batt’s profile with the Spartans:

• In the 2024-25 sports calendar, 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.
• During his time with Georgia Tech, the school 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, and spearheaded corporate sponsorships to provide transformative revenue for athletics. That’s exactly what you need in today’s world of college athletics.
• Batt is regarded as one of college athletics’ top fundraisers. Again, that’s a must, especially in the SEC, and it’s not something that was a strong suit of Barnhart, so Kentucky is hopefully getting an upgrade in this regard.
• Batt served on the House Settlement Implementation Committee that was charged with guiding the post-settlement era structures, rules, and operating principles, so he’s well-versed in the NIL era of college sports.
• Batt worked at Alabama from 2017-22, serving as executive deputy director of athletics, chief operating officer, and chief revenue officer, so he’s already very familiar with the SEC.
• With the Crimson Tide, Batt was responsible for guiding revenue generation, including charitable giving, ticket sales, and other revenue sources. He oversaw the launch of the Crimson Standard, Alabama Athletics’ 10-year, $600 million capital initiative.

So, if this is the hire, what are your thoughts on J Batt?

Continue reading...