President Kevin Guskiewicz welcomes Michigan State University's new Vice President and Athletic Director, Dan Bartholomae, to the stage with a custom jersey at a press conference introducing him to the community at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich., on Aug. 19, 2026.
Transparency has been a point of contention for Michigan State University’s Spartan Ventures since its inception nearly a year ago.
This push has come in the form of a new messenger, Athletic Director Dan Bartholomae, yet it is unclear if the administration supports his quest for transparency.
Yesterday, in an interview with The State News, Bartholomae said defining the new name, image and likeness fundraising arm falls under one of three priorities during his first month on the job.
“As I've sort of assessed where the challenges are here, I've put them into three buckets: transparency, consistency and competitiveness,” Bartholomae said. “The Spartan Ventures piece fits into the transparency bucket.”
Bartholomae said he doesn’t “want to define something that” he is "still learning about.” MSU Athletics staff were moved over to Spartan Ventures after the fundraising arm launched on July 1, according to staff directories, but even they "can't explain it," he said.
Bartholomae also said to expect “a pretty loud statement” defining Spartan Ventures and its future direction in early 2027 — over a year after the initiation of the entity.
Both Board Chair Brianna Scott and President Kevin Guskiewicz sit on the board of Spartan Ventures with Bartholomae.
Scott and Guskiewicz did not directly respond to questions asking if Bartholomae’s remarks meant a different direction for transparency and instead responded in a joint statement:
"(Bartholomae) has made clear that transparency will be a priority as he reviews Spartan Ventures and its role in Michigan State Athletics," the statement read. "We want to give him the opportunity to take a thoughtful, comprehensive look at the program, meet with stakeholders and assess how it can best contribute to our long-term success. We appreciate his deliberate approach and look forward to his recommendations as we continue building a strong future for Spartan Athletics.”
When first introduced, Spartan Ventures was heavily criticized for the lack of public disclosure. In order to view any operational organizational documents, the MSU Board of Trustees has been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements. Scott and Trustee Sandy Pierce have publicly said they signed the NDA.
When the board first approved the initiative in October 2025, former Athletic Director J Batt framed Spartan Ventures as a "competitive advantage."
The board later approved a spin off, the for-profit company Spartan Media Ventures, at their December 2025 meeting.
Trustee Mike Balow drafted a resolution to make Spartan Media Ventures subject to public records requests but did not have enough board support to bring it to a vote during their April meeting.
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