Michigan State University has found its successor to J Batt as they hire their new athletic director from Western Michigan University.
The Michigan State Spartans search for their next athletic director came to an end on the morning of Monday, August 17. It was just announced per Pete Thamel that MSU has hired Western Michigan University athletic director, Dan Bartholomae, to fill the same role at MSU. When J Batt announced and confirmed that he was leaving for the University of Kentucky, Bartholomae was a name near the top of every list for who could be the next Spartans AD.
Part of the reason why Michigan State had an eye on Bartholomae from the jump was due to his fundraising success at Western Michigan University. In athletics during the year 2026, most players are receiving name, image, and likeness deals. Players are being paid to attend the school and play for whichever team they choose. Bartholomae’s success as a fund raiser will help Michigan State with their NIL deals and keep the athletic department well funded to provide resources to every single sport at the school. In 2026, it was announced that Bartholomae led WMU to a record-breaking year for fundraising. The school received $21.8 million in donations from over 3,800 donors. Numbers like those should encourage Spartan fans and the school themselves on what Bartholomae will be able to do with MSU alumni at his disposal. Since Bartholomae took over the WMU athletic department in 2022, they have seen a drastic 473% increase in donations. It would seem unlikely that he would be able to hit those drastic numbers at MSU, but bringing donations in for the school in the NIL era is huge to sustaining the success of the athletic department.
Bartholomae has also seen much success when it comes to winning at Western Michigan University. He recently oversaw a MAC title in football with head coach Lance Taylor at the helm. He led WMU hockey to their first-ever NCAA title in 2025 with a six-to-two victory over Boston University. MSU has always been so close in hockey since Adam Nightingale took over the program, and maybe Bartholomae will be able to provide a few more resources the Spartans need to get over the hump.
This should turn out to be a great hire for the Michigan State athletic department as they get their guy it seems they have been focused on this entire time. Bartholomae’s track record with maintaining winning programs and record-breaking fundraising make him a perfect hire for Michigan State. He should be able to provide every sport at MSU the resources needed to sustain success or, at the very least, become successful again.
