Michigan State Names Mike Polisky Deputy AD and CEO of Spartan Ventures

Michigan State hired Mike Polisky as its deputy athletic director and CEO of Spartan Ventures on October 23, 2026, the university announced. Yahoo published the report. Polisky replaces Jon Palumbo, who left MSU by mid-September along with Spartan Athletic Foundation president Tim House.

Polisky's Role and Spartan Ventures Leadership

Polisky arrives from the Association of Pickleball Professionals, where he has been president since 2022, and from Intersport, where he has been executive vice president since 2021. He was Northwestern's executive athletic director for external affairs from 2010 to 2021, and before that worked for minor-league teams in Chicago including the Chicago Wolves and the Chicago Rush.

"This is a critical time for our department, and Mike's leadership will be vital to our championship aspirations," MSU athletic director Dan Bartholomae said in a statement. "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."

Spartan Ventures board chair Phil Hickey said in a statement that Polisky is "the right choice to guide Spartan Ventures during this formational stage of the organization." Polisky will sit on the Spartan Ventures board alongside Guskiewicz, Bartholomae, Scott, donor Aaron Zeigler, April Clobes, Rick Lasch and Hickey.

Polisky's Northwestern tenure included a branding campaign that cast the school as "Chicago's Big Ten school," and his efforts doubled season tickets for Northwestern football. He stepped down as Northwestern athletic director in May 2021, nine days after his promotion, amid a federal lawsuit filed by former cheerleader Hayden Richardson. That lawsuit was dropped in August 2024 with no settlement paid, and Polisky received $1.2 million in severance from Northwestern.

Spartan Ventures Funding and Structure

Spartan Ventures is a 501c3 nonprofit spinoff of Michigan State University created in late 2025 to generate revenue for the athletic department and expand NIL opportunities, according to akta.pro company records. The entity was capitalized with a $100 million allocation from a $401 million donation by Greg and Dawn Williams, the largest philanthropic commitment in MSU history.

University leaders including athletic director J Batt and president Kevin Guskiewicz hold seats on the nonprofit's board, the same records show. Spartan Ventures was presented at the Detroit Economic Club on May 8, 2026, marking its formal public launch ahead of summer 2026 operations.

Spartan Ventures Board and Next Steps

Spartan Ventures operates on an affiliation agreement with the university, and key MSU officials sit on its seven-member board including Guskiewicz, Bartholomae and Board of Trustees chair Brianna Scott. The Spartans face No. 9 UCLA on October 24, 2026.