Kentucky is targeting Michigan State athletic director J Batt for its vacant AD position, according to a report.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel shared that news on Saturday evening, noting that a deal isn’t finalized but that UK is making a “strong push” to hire Batt away from Michigan State.
Batt has deep ties to the region and has worked in the SEC before. A North Carolina alum, Batt was previously a deputy athletic director at Alabama under Greg Byrne before getting the head AD job at Georgia Tech in 2022.
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Batt left Georgia Tech for Michigan State in 2025 and was credited with hiring Pat Fitzgerald to replace Jonathan Smith at the end of the 2025 season.
However, Michigan State’s hierarchy has been unsettled in recent months. Michigan State president Kevin Guskiewicz, who hired Batt away from Georgia Tech, left for the same role at Clemson earlier this year. Guskiewicz’s exit may have played a role in Batt’s decision to look for a new destination.
If Kentucky does hire Batt, he would replace longtime AD Mitch Barnhart, who announced his pending retirement earlier this year. Barnhart has has served as Kentucky’s AD since 2002.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
