LEXINGTON, Ky. — J. Batt will officially begin his role as director of UK Athletics and CEO of Champions Blue LLC on July 28, the University of Kentucky announced Thursday, taking over the leadership of a storied program following the retirement of Mitch Barnhart.

Batt arrives from Michigan State University, where he served as vice president and director of athletics. "From my first discussions with President Eli Capilouto and others at UK, I was certain that this is the absolute right opportunity for us," Batt said in a statement. "Kentucky's storied history, the opportunity to serve the best fans in the country, and the foundation of excellence established by Mitch Barnhart and the athletics department make UK an ideal destination."

Batt succeeds Barnhart, who retired June 30 after 24 years leading UK Athletics. During Barnhart's tenure, the university won six NCAA championships and more than 60 conference or conference tournament titles, while consistently ranking among the nation's top programs in overall athletic excellence.

At Michigan State, Batt was instrumental in securing a more than $400 million commitment — the largest single gift in college athletics — and established Spartan Ventures, a nonprofit similar to UK's Champions Blue LLC. Michigan State student-athletes achieved the highest department-wide GPA in school history during his tenure, with eight teams earning NCAA tournament bids last year.

Batt also previously served as director of athletics and vice president at Georgia Tech, where he oversaw an athletic fundraising increase of more than 40 percent, and held multiple roles at the University of Alabama, including executive deputy director. At Alabama, he helped develop a 10-year, $600 million capital initiative for the athletics department.

Under the terms of Batt's contract, UK will pay Michigan State $3.95 million between now and July 1, 2027. Batt said he remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of excellence across all aspects of the athletics program.

"We will not shy away from lofty standards of excellence — not only in competition but in how we support our student-athlete experience, how we engage our fanbase and how we conduct our operations," Batt said. "I promise to give my all to our great staff, to the University, to the Big Blue Nation and most importantly, to our student-athletes each and every day."