What is Jason Batt’s Salary? Can Michigan State Match Near 7-Figure Demand For Georgia Tech AD?

Jason Batt, the Georgia Tech AD, ever since joining in October 2022, has led the program to notable highs. In his time, the Yellow Jackets thrived, and both of his hires, head coach Brent Key and basketball head coach Damon Stoudamire, have paid dividends. For instance, Brent Key’s tenure has been nothing short of a path to redemption for Georgia Tech, where the football team executed back-to-back Bowl appearances first time since 2013-14. However, his role at Georgia Tech seems to have ended.

As per recent reports, Batt is set to join Michigan State as their new athletic director and will oversee their program with his ‘big basketball guy’ reputation. Pete Thamel provided the update through his X account. “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,” wrote Thamel in his X post. While the move is still being finalized, let’s know more about Batt and if Michigan State can even afford his high-profile salary.

Basketball What is Jason Batt’s Salary?

Jason Batt has an illustrious resume with his career, spanning from Alabama to the University of East Carolina to the University of Maryland. At Alabama, Batt worked with Nick Saban from 2017 to 2022 and oversaw the unparalleled rise of the program. He was instrumental in securing a 10-year, $600 million capital initiative for the athletic program that resulted in major renovations of the Bryant-Denny Stadium. His role as chief operating officer and chief revenue officer at Alabama was notable for consistent revenue generation and the overhaul of their basketball program when he served as sports administrator for men’s basketball. His time at other universities was also quite fruitful.

For instance, when Bratt was at East Carolina University from 2013 to 2017 as their senior associate AD. He increased their fundraising by more than 60% in 2016. Moreover, in Maryland, Bratt was instrumental in seeing their smooth transition when they moved from the ACC to the Big 10. So, with such high-profile achievements in his bag, he came with high expectations and a hefty paycheck at Georgia Tech.

Before Batt even joined Georgia Tech, he was actively pursued by other programs like South Carolina, but eventually chose the Yellow Jackets. Here, Batt reportedly joined on a $750,00 base salary with a $50,000 signing bonus. However, now, after more than three years of his joining, he is reportedly earning around $979,000 when he signed a new five-year deal with Georgia Tech till 2029. This contract extension and a pay bump make him a costly appointment for MSU. So, can they afford it?

Basketball Can Michigan State Match Near 7-Figure Demand For Georgia Tech AD?

In terms of achievements at Georgia Tech, Batt has a proven track record in performing in the NIL world and even oversaw a record-breaking $78.2 million in contributions to the Alexander-Tharpe fund in the 2024 fiscal year. Apart from that, his tenure at Yellow Jackets has been marked by almost a 161% revenue increase year on year in his tenure, which is 43% above the previous record. Just like Alabama, here too, Jason Batt was overseeing the $500 million Full Steam Ahead initiative that will ensure facility upgrades and Bobby Dodd Stadium renovations. Batt opened up on his success mantra.

Batt knows full well about the demands of the NIL and provided his blueprint for the future. “I think just the talent you have to surround yourself with. It’s not the same as it was 10-15 years ago. Whether it’s the athletic director chair needed more business acumen, more ability to manage a larger budget, all that’s really important, still anchored in the fact that college athletics is essential to the fabric of higher education.” So, with this philosophy guiding Jason, Michigan State surely will be getting an elite Athletic Director. But can they afford him?

Michigan State’s athletic department’s budget is estimated to be around $177.8 million for the fiscal year 2023. This makes it significantly higher than Georgia Tech, which was $133.8 million in the 2023 fiscal year. So, MSU does have the financial resources to pull off this move. Moreover, previous AD Alan Haller’s salary was also speculated to be around $800,000 per year. So, it won’t be too difficult for the program to afford Batt’s salary. However, MSU still will need to take into account his buyout since he recently signed a contract extension at Georgia Tech. Also, the demand for Batt is high in the market, so MSU will probably need a $1-1.2 million range in order to finally seal Batt’s hiring, excluding the buyout money if any.