Michigan State Hires Mike Polisky as Deputy AD and Spartan Ventures CEO

Earlier this morning, Michigan State ⁠announced the hiring of Mike Polisky. It’s an interesting hire and a name I hadn’t heard connected to the university, but his background offers plenty of reasons why it makes sense on paper. Time will tell how it works out.

Polisky brings experience in brand building, revenue generation and sports administration. His career has taken him through Big Ten athletics, professional pickleball, minor league hockey and arena football. That’s an unusual combination, and it’s part of what makes this hire worth a closer look.

Building Something That Lasts

Polisky succeeds Jon Palumbo, who left in September to follow former Michigan State Athletic Director J Batt to Kentucky. Palumbo became Executive Deputy Athletics Director and Deputy CEO of Champions Blue, LLC, Kentucky’s comparable athletics business organization. Eric Reinke served as interim CEO of Spartan Ventures during the search.

For me, the biggest priority is that Athletic Director Dan Bartholomae and Polisky work well together—and stick around long enough to build something.

Spartan Ventures has a stated purpose: increasing revenue and supporting Michigan State athletics through a more integrated approach to fundraising, ticketing and external engagement. But I still don’t feel fans have received a clear enough explanation of what that will look like in practice. What will change? How will it bring in additional money? How will that money reach the programs it’s supposed to support?

Michigan State needs leaders who can explain the vision, follow through and give supporters a reason to buy in.

Several Spartan programs already compete at a high level. Football is where I most want to see these ambitions translate into greater resources and sustained success. The goal should be to give Michigan State the financial backing to compete consistently with the Big Ten’s top programs.

Experience Pushing a Rock Uphill

Polisky’s 11 years at Northwestern stand out because of his overlap with Pat Fitzgerald. That familiarity could help them work together at Michigan State. It doesn’t guarantee anything about Fitzgerald’s future, but I can see value in hiring someone who already understands the head coach and the program he wants to build.

What I like most, though, is the variety in Polisky’s resume.

He served as an executive vice president at Intersport, the sports marketing and events company behind a majority investment in the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP). His role as APP president put him in a sport working to turn growing participation into sponsorships, audiences and a sustainable business.

You can have whatever opinion you want about pickleball, but there’s a business behind that growth. Experience building a sports property and finding new sources of revenue is relevant to the assignment at Michigan State.

His earlier stops offer concrete results, too. As president of business operations for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, he increased corporate sponsorships by nearly 30 percent and overall ticket revenue by more than 14 percent in his first year, according to Northwestern’s announcement when it hired him in 2010.

Before that, he spent eight seasons as president and general manager of the Chicago Rush, earning the Arena Football League’s Executive of the Year award in 2008.

Running a major professional franchise comes with its own pressures, but an established brand gives you a head start. Minor league hockey and arena football have to fight for attention, sponsors and ticket buyers—especially in a crowded market like Chicago.

There’s something appealing about hiring someone who has experience pushing a rock uphill. That’s the part of Polisky’s background that interests me most.

The University of Iowa graduate brings a broad sports business resume to East Lansing. Now Michigan State needs that experience to produce results.

The Full Picture

But before I get too comfortable with my glass-half-full outlook, there’s some water we need to pour out.

Polisky’s departure from Northwestern deserves attention. He was appointed Athletic Director on May 3, 2021, and resigned nine days later amid protests and criticism over his inclusion as a defendant in a former cheerleader’s lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleged that he and other university employees ignored complaints of sexual harassment. That was a separate case from the football hazing scandal that led to Fitzgerald’s firing in July 2023. The cheerleader voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit in 2024. Those allegations should not be presented as established findings.

That history belongs in a fair assessment of this hire. Bringing in money is only part of the responsibility. Michigan State needs leadership that earns trust, takes concerns seriously and supports the people it serves.

I also know some fans will focus almost entirely on that chapter. I’d encourage them to consider the entire resume, including the outcome of the lawsuit, while still asking reasonable questions about his leadership.

My hope is that Polisky brings lessons from his experiences to Michigan State and makes the most of this opportunity. I’m generally a glass-half-full guy, and I see reasons for optimism. The experience fits the assignment. Now he and Bartholomae need to stay, build and deliver.