LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky announced Monday that J Batt, a nationally recognized leader in college sports, has been named chief executive officer of Champions Blue LLC and director of UK Athletics.

Batt, 45, comes to Kentucky from Michigan State University, where he served as vice president and director of athletics. He previously held the same position at Georgia Tech and spent five years at the University of Alabama in multiple roles, including executive deputy director, chief operating officer and chief revenue officer.

The appointment comes as Kentucky Athletics navigates significant changes in the college sports landscape. Champions Blue LLC, approved by the university's Board of Trustees in April 2025, is designed to help Kentucky become more nimble in finding new revenue streams through partnerships and other ventures. The structure mirrors Spartan Ventures, which Batt helped establish at Michigan State.

"Across these institutions, J has distinguished himself as a record-breaker in fundraising and as a leader who strategically invests in facilities to maximize resources and revenue," UK President Eli Capilouto said in a statement. "As important, he has remained focused on ensuring student-athletes compete at the highest levels while being prepared for lives of meaning and purpose."

At Michigan State, Batt was instrumental in securing more than $400 million in commitments—described as the largest single gift in college athletics. During his tenure at Georgia Tech, fundraising records were broken by more than 40 percent, and 14 of 17 varsity programs earned postseason berths in each of his two full years.

Batt is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the 2001 NCAA championship men's soccer team. He earned both a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications and a master's degree in sports administration from UNC.

He succeeds Mitch Barnhart, who is retiring at the end of June after nearly 24 years leading UK Athletics. Under Barnhart's leadership, Kentucky Athletics won six NCAA team national championships, including men's basketball in 2012 and volleyball in 2020, and accumulated more than 50 SEC regular-season and tournament titles.

Batt will officially join UK later this summer. He indicated he will spend the next several weeks meeting with UK leaders, Athletics staff, donors and other stakeholders as he prepares to assume his position.