MSU, Bartholomae Tap Spartan Ventures CEO with Fitzgerald Ties

Michigan State's athletic department has made another major hire.

The school officially announced on Friday morning that it was hiring Mike Polisky to serve as Spartan Ventures' new CEO and as the deputy AD within the athletic department. Polisky had served as the deputy AD for external affairs from 2010 to 2021. Pat Fitzgerald was the head coach throughout Polisky's tenure there.

Polisky was actually very briefly promoted to the role of athletic director by NU, but resigned less than two weeks later after facing significant backlash for being a defendant in a lawsuit by a Northwestern cheerleader that alleged Polisky was dismissive of her groping and sexual harassment claims, according to an ESPN article. The lawsuit was dropped in August 2024 without any settlements being reached for either side.

Polisky hasn't worked in college sports since he resigned from Northwestern. Ever since, according to his LinkedIn profile, he's been the executive vice president at Intersport, a marketing agency, as well as the president of the Association of Pickleball Professionals.

“I’d like to thank President (Kevin) Guskiewicz, AD Bartholomae, the Spartan Ventures Board and the talented leadership within the Michigan State athletic department for their support and belief in me,” Polisky said in a university release.

“My previous collegiate experiences were among the most meaningful and rewarding of my career, and gave me a deep appreciation for the passion, tradition, and extraordinary sense of community that make college athletics so special. To have the opportunity to return to that environment at a place with the rich history, national stature, and passionate following of Michigan State is truly special and feels like coming home."

Polisky's Likely Role

A large portion of Polisky's role will overlap with the old role that Jon Palumbo had at Michigan State. Palumbo recently left Michigan State for a similar job alongside J Batt at Kentucky. Polisky's main job as Spartan Ventures CEO will be to find ways to increase revenue for the athletic department. As for his deputy AD gig, he'll be the primary administrator for the football and men's golf teams, according to the university's press release.

"“We’re excited to welcome Mike Polisky to the Michigan State family,” Bartholomae said in the same release. “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. He will be a strong addition to our team as we define our vision for the future of Michigan State Athletics.”

 Immediate Big Decisions, Moves Ahead

Bartholomae and Polisky, MSU's new No. 1s and No. 2s in the department, will quickly have to get to work. One goal Bartholomae has been putting major emphasis on is the NIL dollars Fitzgerald and the football program will have to work with.

Michigan State's football budget has been estimated at about $21-25 million by The Athletic, which is in the bottom half of the Big Ten. That number may have to approach $40 million next season for the Spartans to truly be able to field an above-average Big Ten team through the portal this winter.