Michigan State is expected to hire J Batt as its next athletic director, according to an ESPN report Sunday. Jason "J" Batt is currently the AD at Georgia Tech and signed a contract extension in December through 2029 with an initial annual base salary of $979,000 for 2025, according to documents, and raises of $100,000 per year. He also earns $271,000 in supplemental salary for a total of $1.25 million. Batt previously was executive deputy director of athletics, chief operating officer and chief revenue officer at Alabama over five years (2017-22). He was senior associate athletic director at East Carolina (2013-17) and spent four years at Maryland (2009-13), according to his Yellow Jackets bio. Batt was on the men's soccer team at North Carolina during its 2001 NCAA championship. Pete Thamel, a College Football senior writer for ESPN, tweeted: "Sources: Georgia Tech athletic director J Batt is expected to become the next athletic director at Michigan State. He's emerged as the target, and a deal is expected to come together in the near future." Alan Haller was forced out as MSU AD on May 1 after three-plus years in the role. Follow the Detroit Free Press on Instagram (@detroitfreepress), TikTok (@detroitfreepress), YouTube (@DetroitFreePress), X (@freep), and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress). Stay connected and stay informed. Become a Detroit Free Press subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may publish it online or in print.