J Batt contract details: Salary, buyout revealed for Michigan State AD

Following board approval Friday, Michigan State released contract details for new athletics director J Batt. He will have a $1.85 million base salary in the first year of the deal, and his buyout starts at $5 million for the first two years, as shared by The Detroit Free Press’ Chris Solari.

Batt signed a six-year contract to take over as MSU’s AD, and the deal totals out to $12.6 million over that time. His salary increases $100,000 each year on July 1, and it will be up to $2.35 million by the time the contract expires in 2031. The deal also includes “performance goals” and bonuses, which will be determined each year in mid-June.

Additionally, Michigan State paid Batt’s buyout at Georgia Tech, according to the contract. That came out to more than $2 million. Batt’s buyout at Michigan State starts at $5 million before dropping by $1 million each year starting in the third year of the deal. In Year 6, his buyout will sit at $0.

New MSU athletic director J Batt will make $1.85 million in base salary his first year, and it increases $100,000 a year up to $2.35 million in Year 6. A total of $12.6 million over the six-year deal.

— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) June 13, 2025

Batt’s salary is a notable increase from his predecessor, Alan Haller. Haller’s base salary was nearly $900,000 – less than half of what Batt will make in his first year in the role.

J Batt arrives at Michigan State from Georgia Tech, where he served as athletics director since 2022. He previously worked at Alabama as a deputy athletics director, focusing primarily on revenue generation. Fundraising is a key part of his background, and MSU coach Tom Izzo called that the most important part of Batt’s job, particularly in light of House v. NCAA settlement approval.

Batt also addressed his approach to fundraising at Michigan State while awaiting approval of the landmark settlement. He cited the need for alignment and a plan that’s flexible enough to change amid the changing landscape – and he expects MSU to offer both.

“We are going to be extremely successful and competitive in that space,” Batt said during his introductory press conference. “We’re going to be intentional about providing all of our coaches the resources to be successful at a championship level.

“I’ll tell you, I believe as we head into the revenue-share – the post-House settlement [era], hopefully – what that requires will change, and how we approach that space will change. But I can tell you we’ll have a great plan. We’ll be united in that plan, we’ll be aligned in that plan from President [Kevin] Guskiewicz to our coaches to our board as we head into that era.”