Story perspectives

MSU Names Jon Palumbo Interim AD, Batt Heads to Kentucky

7/11/2026

Summary

Jon Palumbo Appointed

Michigan State University named Jon Palumbo interim athletic director effective July 10, 2026.
President Kevin Guskiewicz made the appointment and will evaluate internal and external candidates for the permanent AD role.
Outgoing AD J Batt departed for Kentucky, where his tenure begins July 28, 2026, with a $3.95 million buyout to MSU.
Jon Palumbo, former executive deputy AD and CEO of Spartan Ventures, will oversee the non-profit revenue arm launched July 1, 2026.

Summary

Palumbo Delivers Wins

Palumbo oversaw Georgia Tech operations that yielded back-to-back bowl games in 2023 and 2024, the first such streak in a decade.
At Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Palumbo hired coach Steve Lutz, prompting NCAA tournament berths in 2022 and 2023 and the program’s first tournament win.
During his VCU tenure, the men’s basketball team made five straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2013-2017.

History

Historical Context

Michigan State’s hiring of Jon Palumbo to run its interim athletic department reflects a growing trend among Power Five schools to channel bowl revenues through separate non-profit arms, a practice spurred by the NCAA’s 2016 reform that ties distribution to academic outcomes. The Knight Commission’s 2010 report and the $3.5 billion annual pool it highlighted underscore the financial competition driving these changes.

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Jon Palumbo Appointed

Michigan State University named Jon Palumbo interim athletic director effective July 10, 2026.
President Kevin Guskiewicz made the appointment and will evaluate internal and external candidates for the permanent AD role.
Outgoing AD J Batt departed for Kentucky, where his tenure begins July 28, 2026, with a $3.95 million buyout to MSU.
Jon Palumbo, former executive deputy AD and CEO of Spartan Ventures, will oversee the non-profit revenue arm launched July 1, 2026.

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