Michigan State may be keeping its president, but it’s still losing its athletic director — J Batt is on his way to the University of Kentucky.
Kevin Guskiewicz announced Monday he will remain at MSU instead of leaving for Clemson, a decision that nullifies a key clause in Batt’s contract tied to presidential leadership changes.
As a result, the University of Kentucky now owes Michigan State the full $5 million buyout for Batt. The figure would have been cut in half if Guskiewicz had left.
Despite the shift at Michigan State, Kentucky officials say Batt’s plans have not changed.
In a statement sent to WKAR Monday afternoon, University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said Batt has “reinforced his commitment” to the university and is eager to join what he called Big Blue Nation.
J Batt and I spoke this afternoon and he has reinforced his commitment to UK and his excitement about joining the Big Blue Nation as soon as possible. We are working quickly to finalize his start date and his family is eager to join our community as well. We are excited about J and his family joining us soon. We look forward to J hitting the ground running as CEO of Champions Blue and Athletics Director at the University of Kentucky.Eli Capilouto, President, University of Kentucky
Batt is set to take on a dual role, serving as both athletics director and CEO of Champions Blue – Kentucky’s name, image and likeness (NIL) collective. Capilouto said the university is working to finalize Batt’s start date and expects him to step into the role quickly.
The move places Batt in charge of one of the Southeastern Conference’s high-profile athletics programs, as Michigan State prepares for another transition in its athletic leadership since Batt took on the job just a year ago.
Batt was hired at Michigan State in June 2025, and his arrival came with a significant investment from the university. He signed a six-year contract worth $12.6 million, making him one of the most prominent hires in the school’s recent athletic leadership reshuffling.
During his short tenure, he was part of the leadership team that launched a new initiative for NIL at MSU, brought in the university's largest ever single financial commitment and oversaw the hiring of football coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Kentucky’s deal for Batt is reportedly even larger, coming in at $17.85 million over six years.