Michigan State has reunited Pat Fitzgerald with the executive who ran Northwestern’s business side alongside him for 11 years. The Spartans hired Mike Polisky on Friday as deputy athletics director and CEO of Spartan Ventures, a move the school announced Friday morning.
What Mike Polisky Will Run at Michigan State
As Spartan Ventures CEO, Polisky will set strategic priorities, chase revenue in both existing and new streams, and optimize operations in support of Michigan State athletics. As deputy athletics director, he becomes the primary sport administrator for the football and men’s golf programs and will provide strategic leadership across several units in the department.
He replaces Jon Palumbo in the Spartan Ventures seat. Palumbo left in September for Kentucky, where he is now executive deputy athletics director and deputy CEO of Champions Blue, the Lansing State Journal reported.
Bartholomae and Fitzgerald on the Hire
Michigan State athletic director Dan Bartholomae framed the hire as central to what the department is trying to build.
“We’re excited to welcome Mike Polisky to the Michigan State family,” Bartholomae said. “This is a critical time for our department, and Mike’s leadership will be vital to our championship aspirations.”
“At every stop of his professional journey, both inside and outside college athletics, his career has been defined by innovation, revenue generation, and brand growth, resulting in a powerful connection between the team and the community,” Bartholomae said. “He will be a strong addition to our team as we define our vision for the future of Michigan State Athletics.”
Fitzgerald, who was Northwestern’s head coach for all 11 of Polisky’s years in its athletic department, endorsed the hire in the same announcement. “Mike is a perfect fit for this role,” Fitzgerald said. “He is a proven leader who has run organizations innovatively at the professional level and also has years of experience in the Big Ten.”
The Northwestern Exit Everyone Is Pointing To
Polisky’s 11 years at Northwestern ended abruptly. The school promoted him to athletic director on May 3, 2021, and he resigned nine days later, on May 12, after faculty and community protests over the appointment. Polisky was one of four defendants in a federal lawsuit filed that January by former Northwestern cheerleader Hayden Richardson over sexual harassment and misconduct she said she was subjected to at Wildcats events. The suit alleged he had tried to cover up misconduct in his previous role as deputy director of athletics for external affairs.
“Over the last 10 days, it has become clear to me that the current challenges will not allow me to effectively lead our department, especially during these unsettling times in college athletics,” Polisky said when he stepped down.
Richardson voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit in August 2024. Her attorneys said no settlements were reached with any of the parties involved, and Polisky’s attorneys called the dismissal a complete vindication.
Polisky spent the years after Northwestern outside college athletics, as executive vice president at the Chicago marketing firm Intersport and as president of the Association of Pickleball Professionals. Now he is back in the Big Ten, running the business side for an athletic department trying to pay for a football rebuild, with Fitzgerald on the sideline again.