J Batt is on the clock.

At its meeting in Traverse City, Michigan State University’s Board of Trustees on Friday, June 13, approved the hiring of the Spartans’ new athletic director. A university spokesman said Batt will begin Tuesday.

Batt’s six-year contract runs July 17, 2025-June 30, 2031. Terms were expected to released by the school after the board’s approval. A source told the Free Press after the hiring that Batt would make about $1.8 million per year after leaving his position at Georgia Tech.

The 43-year-old is MSU’s 21st athletic director and replaces Alan Haller, who was relieved of his duties by university President Kevin Guskiewicz on May 1. Batt is the school’s first athletic director who was hired outside of MSU since 1995 (Merritt Norvell) and its first with previous AD experience since 1992 (Merrily Dean Baker).

The board also approved a new five-year rollover contract for hockey coach Adam Nightingale, which runs July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2030. Terms were not immediately released.

In March 2024, Nightingale signed a five-year rollover contract included non-performance related compensation of $700,000 last year. He was set to begin getting a supplemental compensation increase by $25,000 annually and was entitled to a $100,000 retention bonus every two years beginning Sept. 30, 2024.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: MSU Board of Trustees approves Spartans’ new athletic director J Batt