Kentucky is hiring Michigan State athletic director J Batt, according to a release from the school. Batt will replace the outgoing Mitch Barnhart, who is set to retire in July.
Batt's tenure at Michigan State was technically two days short of one year. He was hired at Michigan State by now-departing President Kevin Guskiewicz. Guskiewicz is set to take over as President at Clemson, leaving two of the school's most important positions vacant. Michigan State is now preparing to hire its fourth athletic director since 2021.
During Batt's brief tenure, he helped land massive donations from several prominent boosters and created Spartan Ventures, the school's new fundraising arm. Spartan Ventures, which is set to officially launch on July 1, released a statement in response to the news.
Spartans head coach Tom Izzo was visibly upset while meeting with reporters Monday afternoon. "I'll be honest with you, which I've always been, I can't stand what's going on," Izzo said.
Izzo will try to navigate another period of leadership transition as he enters his 32nd season with the school.
For Kentucky, Batt's hire signals a new era for its athletics programs after Mitch Barnhart's 24-year tenure. Batt is widely regarded as one of the best athletic directors in the country, and when asked about having three jobs in a calendar year, he told reporters, “This is where our boys will graduate high school. I am here to stay. This is a destination job."
The Brendan Sorsby saga came to an end yesterday, with news that the Texas Tech quarterback elected to enter the NFL's supplemental draft.
Earlier on Monday, the Big 12 filed a legal complaint in federal court seeking an injunction to enforce its bylaws and sanction Texas Tech for its plans to play Sorsby. A majority of schools in the conference, and several in other leagues, planned to cancel upcoming games against Texas Tech if Sorsby were to play.
According to a report from Tom Pelissero, Sorsby's attorneys plan to withdraw their lawsuit, paving the way for him to be eligible for the supplemental draft. Sorsby was previously ineligible for the draft because he had been granted collegiate eligibility under his original injunction.
Texas Tech released a statement following news of Sorsby's decision:
The NCAA was preparing to go to court over Sorsby's eligibility as it continues its pursuit of an antitrust exemption from Congress. Fortunately for them, this potential watershed moment resolved itself in the form of both judicial and public pressure.
In scheduling news, the Battle 4 Atlantis is changing its format from a traditional eight-team bracket to two four-team groups, per a report from Matt Norlander.
Group 1: Xavier, Texas A&M, Virginia, Marquette
Group 2: Wake Forest, Memphis, Penn State, Mississippi State
Xavier and Marquette will not play each other during the event because they're both in the Big East.
Elsewhere, Kentucky released dates for its non-conference home games.
Gonzaga will play LSU at Spokane Arena on November 14.
Indiana and North Carolina will play in an exhibition game on October 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Pitt and Butler will begin a home-and-home series on November 13 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
In recruiting news, Ohio State commit LJ Smith is reclassifying to 2026 and will join the Buckeyes this season. The 6'5" guard was the 11th-ranked player in the 2027 class and became the second five-star recruit on this year's roster (Anthony Thompson).
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