According to his source, Pete Thamel of ESPN reports that Georgia Tech Athletic Director J Batt is in talks with Michigan State to take the same position with the Big Ten school. J Batt has been a critical part of Georgia Tech’s rise during the NIL era of college athletics. He came in from Alabama, where he specialized in fundraising and revenue management. Georgia Tech has had record commitment through several initiatives under his watch to help multiple sports compete at the top level. The A-T Fund raised $73 million in his first full year, and the Full Steam Ahead initiative is over halfway to its stated goal of $500 million for facilities improvement.
Sources: Georgia Tech athletic director J Batt is expected to become the next athletic director at Michigan State. He’s emerged as the target, and a deal is expected to come together in the near future. pic.twitter.com/R5MlAc9xTV
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 1, 2025
J Batt also had the opportunity in his first year to promote Brent Key from interim to Head Coach for Football and hire Damon Soutdamire for Men’s Basketball. The promotion of Brent Key has been a popular hire so far with the Georgia Tech fanbase as they continue to elevate their ability to compete in the ACC and against rival Georgia. His potential leaving will leave his successor looking to hire a new baseball coach, with Danny Hall retiring at the end of the season. His hire of Stoudamire is also facing pressure, having not yet secured a bid to the NCAA Tournament, and could be a talking point if they fail to do so next season.
Georgia Tech has benefited overall under J Batt’s leadership, and it will be critical for Georgia Tech to find a replacement that can continue the path of revenue generation in the coming turmoil of revenue distribution in the college landscape. Tech is certainly better off for having J Batt at the helm and has laid a solid foundation for the next AD to build upon. Should the deal become final, we wish J Batt the best in his future with Michigan State.