Michigan State named J Batt its athletic director on Monday, and with that, a new era in Spartan athletics begins.
Batt has friends, colleagues and acquaintances all over, thanks to his stops at several universities over the years.
One of them is Atlanta Braves president and chief executive officer Derek Schiller, who has been with the organization since 2003. He became president in 2016.
"J is an incredibly accomplished sports executive who will bring a wealth of experience to Michigan State," Schiller said regarding Batt being hired as Michigan State's vice president and director of athletics, per the Michigan State Athletics X, formerly known as Twitter, account.