J Batt leaving Georgia Tech for Michigan State athletic director job, ESPN says

A North Carolina graduate, Batt has ushered in a new era during a tumultuous time in college athletics. Under Batt, Tech hired Brent Key as its football coach and Damon Stoudamire to lead the men’s basketball program, struck a sponsorship deal with Hyundai to rename the football stadium Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field, helped create Tech football’s pregame “Helluva Block Party” and created a new executive associate athletic director for player management role.

Tech and the Alexander-Tharpe Fund, the school’s fundraising arm, launched the Full Steam Ahead campaign in October. The $500 million fundraising initiative includes projects to renovate Bobby Dodd Stadium and the Zelnak Basketball Center.

In November, Batt was appointed chairman of the board of the College Football Hall of Fame. In March, he was named as part of the settlement implementation committee that will oversee the implemention and enforcement of the proposed settlement in the House v. NCAA court case.

Per the terms of Batt’s contract: “In the event that the Director of Athletics terminates the Agreement pursuant to this Section 5.3, or terminates his employment with Georgia Tech, prior to the end of the Term … he shall pay as liquidated damages to the Association, or cause liquidated damages to be paid to the Association, 30% of all remaining unpaid Base Salary and Supplemental Compensation amounts which would have been paid through December 31, 2029 within sixty (60) days from the effective date of termination.”

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