EAST LANSING — Never in college athletics has there been this much pressure on an athletic director to get it right, to be both innovative and steady, to be malleable but also firm.

New Michigan State AD J Batt comes across as someone who might be able to thread that needle. We’ll find out in the coming months and years.

On Wednesday, Aug. 27, he sat down with a group of reporters on the eve of his first school year in charge, tackling several subjects — including Spartan Stadium naming rights, MSU’s plans to compete in the NIL space, the Central Michigan investigation, MSU’s financial health and sports offerings, and the previously approved Spartan Gateway District, which includes a new arena.

Several of his answers stood out. Perhaps most significantly: How he sees NIL supplementing r

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