​Michigan State athletics is undergoing a substantial transformation. After a little over 400 days in the role, J. Batt is stepping down as the university’s athletic director in East Lansing to assume Kentucky’s athletic director position. Kentucky recently completed a buyout with MSU, and Batt has been given a start date of July 28 for his new duties.
With this leadership change now set, Michigan State President Kevin Guskiewicz has appointed an interim athletic director, entrusting the role to Jon Palumbo. Palumbo has been serving as Michigan State’s Executive Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer, and he has also played a pivotal part in launching Spartan Ventures, where he serves as CEO. His career began as an associate athletic director at American University, the University of Maryland, and Virginia Commonwealth University, before taking his first athletic director position at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi. From 2018 to 2022, he led TAMU-CC through a period of notable success. After his time there, he joined MSU and held the roles of executive deputy athletic director and chief operating officer. He later contributed to Georgia Tech’s athletic program in a similar capacity.
A national search will be conducted to identify Michigan State’s next athletic director, but serving as interim presents Palumbo with a valuable opportunity to demonstrate his readiness for the permanent post. For ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion, follow The Spartans Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our Facebook page. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X at @Rex_Linzy.
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