Kentucky hires J Batt with reduced buyout from Michigan State
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 17, 2026, 10:15 AM
Last updated Jun 17, 2026
Kentucky athletics director J Batt was introduced on June 16, 2026, following his move from Michigan State. Batt's buyout amount has been reduced from $5 million to $2.5 million due to the departure of Michigan State’s former president, Kevin Guskiewicz. The new arrangement allows Kentucky to reinvest significant funds, while Batt plans to explore diverse money-making strategies, including naming rights and jersey patches. His controversial methods could face pushback from traditionalists concerned about changes to the team’s branding.
- •J Batt was hired as athletics director for Kentucky on June 16, 2026.
- •Batt's buyout was halved due to a change in Michigan State's leadership.
- •Michigan State initially paid over $2 million to recruit Batt from Georgia Tech.
- •Kentucky plans to utilize unique fundraising strategies under Batt's leadership.
- •Potential backlash is anticipated regarding jersey advertising concepts.
- 10:15 AMYahoo Sports — Kentucky saved millions on J Batt thanks to a weird buyout with Michigan State
"J Batt came to Kentucky at a premium, but thanks to a buyout rule, that amount was halved.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days- MLB•Jun 17, 2026, 11:00 AMBlue Jays Release 8-Year MLB Veteran After Retirement Report
- MLB•Jun 17, 2026, 9:01 AMAll the news from Buckeyes’ third recruiting camp of the summer
- MLB•Jun 17, 2026, 6:15 AMWould New York Yankees Trade No. 1 Prospect For A Lefty Slugger?
- MLB•Jun 17, 2026, 6:13 AMMike Trout, Zach Neto Homer, Reid Detmers Tosses Shutout As Angels Beat Diamondbacks
- MLB•Jun 17, 2026, 5:23 AMA’s Squander Chances, Fall to Pirates in Series Equalizer
- MLB•Jun 17, 2026, 5:21 AMLowe hits go-ahead homer, Reynolds connects twice as Pirates rally past Athletics for 6-5 victory
