Mitch Barnhart’s UK tenure is finished, but J Batt’s start date is still unclear
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- Mitch Barnhart’s tenure as Kentucky athletics director has ended.
- J Batt remains employed at Michigan State and has no formal UK start date.
- Batt’s Michigan State contract specifies a $5 million buyout before reductions.
Mitch Barnhart’s tenure as Kentucky athletics director is finished. But the tenure of J Batt, Barnhart’s replacement in the job, has not yet begun.
So, who is in charge of UK Athletics and when does Batt actually start the job?
While it has been more than two weeks since UK announced Batt as its next athletics director and the CEO of Champions Blue LLC, Batt remains an employee at Michigan State, an MSU spokesperson told the Herald-Leader on Wednesday. Batt’s final day at the university has yet to be determined.
“President (Eli) Capilouto and J Batt are working closely together to establish a start date for J as CEO of Champions Blue and athletics director,” a UK spokesman said in a statement provided to the Herald-Leader. “In the meantime, President Capilouto and the Office of the President will continue providing leadership to the athletics department while working alongside J to ensure a smooth transition and continued preparation for the upcoming academic year and athletics seasons.”
When Batt officially resigns could have financial ramifications for Kentucky.
Per the terms of Batt’s Michigan State contract, which was obtained by the Herald-Leader through an open records request, Batt would owe the school $5 million if he left before June 30, 2027, but that buyout is cut in half “in the event Kevin M. Guskiewicz is no longer the president of the university.”
Guskiewicz announced in May he was leaving Michigan State for the president job at Clemson, but he has not actually left the school yet, either. Clemson has not finalized his start date, and Guskiewicz said after his hire was announced he did not anticipate beginning his new job until August, according to the Greenville Journal.
Was the 50% reduction in Batt’s buyout triggered by Guskiewicz announcing his planned departure from Michigan State or does it not go into effect until Guskiewicz actually stops working there?
Michigan State did not respond to multiple requests from the Herald-Leader to answer that question.
The term sheet Batt signed with UK when he was announced as the school’s next athletics director last month specifies that UK will pay any buyout owed for his departure to Michigan State but acknowledges the amount owed Michigan State is dependent on the date Batt formally terminates his Michigan State contract.
The Herald-Leader’s open records request to Michigan State for any resignation letter from Batt returned no relevant documents, according to the university.
Batt’s UK term sheet does not include a formal start date for his employment, instead saying his term will begin “on an effective date to be determined, but no earlier than July 2026.”
Batt was not present for UK’s Board of Trustees athletics committee meeting this week, the first since his hire was announced. Much of that meeting was devoted to celebrating Barnhart’s 24-year tenure, and the only direct mention of Batt came when Barnhart wished him well toward the end of his final director’s report.
July is the only month on the calendar when no UK team is scheduled to compete in games, so the awkward transition timing should not have too large an effect on the department. The first athletic event of the 2026-27 school year is a pair of exhibitions for the soccer teams scheduled for Aug. 8.
Planning work on a variety of projects, including the entertainment district to be built near Kroger Field is ongoing, though.
“I’ve got to learn our people,” Batt said when asked by the Herald-Leader after his hire was announced what the biggest challenge he faced was. “I’ve got to get here and learn what it is that makes this place so special, down to the nth detail. … Not every single one. I probably won’t probably be successful in that, but get out and meet Big Blue Nation.”
