Former MSU AD J Batt will make nearly $3 million per year at Kentucky

Former Michigan State athletic director J Batt is getting quite the pay raise with his new job at Kentucky.

>Batt, who left Michigan State on Monday after only one year in East Lansing, signed a six-year, $17.85 million contract with Kentucky, according to a contract posted on X by ESPN's Pete Thamel. The contract pays Batt an extra $5.25 million compared to the six-year, $12.6 million contract he signed with Michigan State in June 2025.

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>Batt will make $2.6 million in total compensation his first year at Kentucky, then he will make an extra $150,000 of supplemental compensation each year of the contract. His final year will see a total compensation of $3.35 million.

>At Michigan State, Batt made $1.85 million this past year. His compensation at Michigan State ranked him in the top 10 nationally among public university athletic directors. His pay bump at Kentucky puts him in the top four.

>Kentucky will also pay Batt's liquidated buyout to Michigan State, a sum of $5 million. President Kevin Guskiewicz's impending departure triggered a clause in Batt's contract that would have cut that sum in half, to $2.5 million, but Guskiewicz is still technically serving his role at Michigan State, and Kentucky didn't wait around in hiring Batt.

>Batt, 44, had come to Michigan State in June 2025 from Georgia Tech. In his first year, he started a number of initiatives including $1 billion capital campaign FOR SPARTA and third-party revenue generating entity Spartan Ventures. He also secured a $401 million commitment from megadonors Greg and Dawn Williams, including $100 million to seed Spartan Ventures. He also announced a $500 million plan for renovations to Spartan Stadium, to begin in November 2027.

>Batt's tenure was short-lived, however, after Guskiewicz announced May 27 an intention to take the same position at Clemson, citing tension with three Board of Trustees members — Mike Balow, R-Plymouth; Rema Vassar, D-Detroit; and Dennis Denno, D-East Lansing. A timeline for his departure is unknown, but Guskiewicz released a statement Monday that he will assist in naming an interim athletic director before he leaves.

>cearegood@detroitnews.com

>@ConnorEaregood

>This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Kentucky to pay former MSU AD J Batt nearly $3 million a year