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Michigan State University President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., with the support of the Board of Trustees has selected Dan Bartholomae as the university’s next vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics. Bartholomae currently serves as the vice president and director of athletics at Western Michigan University, where he has led the department since 2022.

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Michigan State’s search for its next athletic director has come to an end. The Spartans have hired Dan Bartholomae away from Western Michigan to take over as the program’s new AD, according to ESPN – which Spartan Tailgate can confirm. The former Bronco replaces J Batt, who left for Kentucky after just one year at the helm in East Lansing.

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Friday marked an important day on the calendar as high school juniors were allowed to verbally commit to NCAA programs. Head coach Adam Nightingale landed commits from three big-name players all part of the U.S. National Team Development Program U17 team, including five-star forward Jack Trupiano.

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Six exceptional athletes from across six decades and one championship coach make up the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Lindsay Bowen (women’s basketball), Dan Currie (football), Tico Duckett (football/men’s track & field), Walt Drenth (men’s and women’s cross country and track & field), Sue Latter-Addison (women’s cross country and track & field), Kalin Lucas (men’s basketball) and Leah O’Connor (women’s cross country and track & field) will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in September. 
— Read on Michigan State University Athletics

With the change of heart from Kevin Guskiewicz and terms reached on the official Kentucky buyout of J Batt, MSU moved quickly in naming Jon Palumbo as interim athletic director. The CEO of the newly launched Spartan Ventures will now have double duty as he fills both roles. Palumbo is clearly a man with some vision and has moved quickly while at MSU.

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Michigan State University President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., today announced Jon Palumbo as the university’s interim director of intercollegiate athletics. Palumbo’s appointment is effective immediately with the announcement of J Batt’s impending departure from the university.

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is staying at Michigan State University. And the price tag for J Batt’s departure to Kentucky just went back up. With Guskiewicz remaining president – a reversal of course after accepting the same job at Clemson in late May – the buyout for Batt to leave his job as MSU athletic director after a little over a year remains at $5 million.

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The Board of Trustees today announced that Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., will stay in his position as president of Michigan State University. “President Guskiewicz has been transformational for Michigan State University over the past two years, and we are pleased to confirm that he has decided to stay and continue to chart a course forward for our institution,” said Chair Brianna Scott. “When he initially told me he was leaving, I asked him to consider rethinking his decision. I am so happy that he did! I always knew that his heart was with MSU.”
— Read on MSU Today

Today is an exciting day for Michigan State Athletics as it is the official launch for Spartan Ventures. For months, our team has been working hard to prepare for this moment, creating the structure which will provide the resources the department needs to succeed now and for years to come.

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Fitzgerald prioritized demonstrated production when he sent his staff shopping in the transfer portal to fill out his initial roster, and in some ways, the 2026 Spartans boast considerable experience.

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Michigan State Athletics has announced its All-Sports Awards for the 2025-26 season. The awards include the George Alderton Male and Female Athletes of the Year, Chester Brewer Leadership Award, Dr. James Feurig Achievement and Service Award, the Big Ten Conference Medals of Honor and the Big Ten Conference Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners. A panel of administrators and athletics department staff selected the winners.  

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J Batt is gone. Kevin Guskiewicz soon will follow. Their Spartan Ventures project, however, continues to move forward, approaching its July 1 start date that its head believes will boost revenue for Michigan State athletics.

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In light of the recent news of upcoming MSU leadership transition, our message is simple: Spartan Ventures is moving forward and it is primed to elevate MSU Athletics to new levels. Just last week at the MSU Board of Trustees meeting, MSU Board Chair Brianna Scott and Trustee Sandy Pierce affirmed the importance of Spartan Ventures. Trustee Pierce said that “this venture, long-term, is going to benefit not just athletics but the entire university.”

Source: Michigan State University Athletics

Kentucky Athletics is officially hiring Michigan State’s J Batt to be its next athletic director. Kentucky said in a press release on Monday morning Batt has been named the Chief Executive Officer of Champions Blue LLC and UK Athletics Director. This comes two days after ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Kentucky is focusing in on Batt to be new athletic director. According to Thamel, Kentucky is giving Batt a 6-year deal to replace longtime A.D. Mitch Barnhart, who retired in April.

Source: WLNS 6 News

State University athletic director J Batt has reportedly been named a frontrunner for the same position at the University of Kentucky, just over a year after assuming the position at MSU.  Kentucky’s pursuit of Batt is part of a concentrated effort to return him to the SEC, according to reports made by ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Saturday afternoon. Batt worked in the SEC as a Deputy Athletics Director at the University of Alabama from 2017-2022.

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