# Sources: Michigan State to hire Western Michigan AD Bartholomae

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-08-17 16:07 UTC · Category: Sports

## Executive Summary
Michigan State University is reportedly hiring Western Michigan University athletic director Dan Bartholomae to lead its athletic department.

## Intelligence Brief
Bartholomae currently serves as the athletic director for Western Michigan University, a position he will be leaving to move to East Lansing. This leadership transition involves a direct move from one Michigan institution to another, with Bartholomae taking on the same professional role at Michigan State that he previously held at Western Michigan. The move has been widely reported across a variety of regional and national sports news platforms. Coverage of this hire has been extensive, with reporting coming from national outlets such as ESPN and Yahoo Sports, as well as regional news sources including MLive.com, WOODTV.com, WWMT, and WILX. Yahoo Sports explicitly stated that Michigan State University has found its new athletic director, while ESPN cited sources to confirm the hire.


Regional outlets like WOODTV.com and WILX characterized the move as a report that Bartholomae is heading to East Lansing to lead the MSU athletic department. MLive.com focused on the vacancy this creates at Western Michigan, examining the legacy and the state of the program that Bartholomae leaves behind. The context of this move centers on the administrative leadership of two major Michigan universities. By transitioning from the athletic director role at Western Michigan to the equivalent position at Michigan State, Bartholomae is moving into a leadership role at an institution based in East Lansing. The reporting emphasizes the shift in personnel between these two schools, highlighting that Bartholomae is leaving his current post to assume the responsibilities of managing MSU's athletics.


The simultaneous reporting by several outlets indicates a coordinated announcement or leak regarding the university's selection process for the vacancy. Future developments to watch involve the formalization of the hire and the subsequent filling of the athletic director position at Western Michigan. While coverage confirms that Bartholomae is leaving Western Michigan, it does not yet specify the exact start date for his tenure at Michigan State or the specific terms of his contract. Observers will be looking for official confirmation from both Michigan State University and Western Michigan University regarding the transition. Additionally, the focus may shift toward how Western Michigan intends to replace the departing administrator to maintain the stability of its athletic programs.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| MLive.com | Pat Fitzgerald’s plan for working with a new athletic director at Michigan State | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizAFBVV95cUxOUDV2eGFadDQwREwzZnNPNUhKUTRxRVJYV0VYbTdtRkRZTlhENHA4M01uN3VYbkpnUjJFbktnUTdENlp6M190Njc2NU1lR1hoQ0hkeW16NU9zY2sySjdyclk1R3FwZ0lHS1hiN2I0LUVIRTVBS2FqQl9obmZFYUJPUnE4S0k4RUlLNTlWOVRLd1B6S2Nsb1FGMWdoRGVTVmZXazNuRWF3VmVSVzVGYzBVZ3RwMGxWNFdDNjRBeE9KbkdPbmVlQXJsNFhCRzA?oc=5) |
| Lansing State Journal | Couch: Dan Bartholomae looks like a fit for this pivotal time for MSU Athletics | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwJBVV95cUxQc2d3Z0c2X1V1VlJCUGJxekpPV0pPbi0xSTBoUGlKaFE2RVBibS1qQ2JvczZPTFZwaFdIUkNuSE1aNXN3YkVrZ08tLWY5QVA1akFGZnh0dHVrQ1J0RDBiUnRWX29ZcGJDbzZRYmtnRzZJVXFvRTJySkVDYXZFTnNyQWRhaFpjUmotYkRtNDloWk82aUJsdG1ONkp1SV9Vdm5CSDVISWc2ZDEzaTI2T0ZmRTA2dVBfTG5MUVR0ejVLQ3Y1UUszcHhJSFRUZGJkdThZYVdncnExa18tTGx6VVA2bmFTZnFLRTZnYmxoMHBlNEJ5cjlXekhmdGo3Z296a3lfRkE3T3VfeWZDMHdlaFlZWVJHRWd6OWM?oc=5) |
| MLive.com | Dan Bartholomae is leaving Western Michigan. Here’s what he leaves behind | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxPWDRKQXV2SklNTFZhcHkwV0lSTWpmM19pZlRFNkduQURNeXYyUm1CSF9uVm1UNkpiMmRrWGE1U2Y0MTRjSG1UV1dEX21VY2NMNWI3TldNM3ZaSkNBUkhPNUxiWVA1d05uMU1uMEpHZzNGd2NVa21iUF90Vk5uNEJhcDJ0NGlkYjk5RlIyVkRyVEpubUhQNmtXTFpkMThmekEtTkxvcnpUYldqMXVDTzJ4MGVLZmw?oc=5) |
| Yahoo Sports | Michigan State University Has Its New Athletic Director | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxQS0gxUjAzbWFQWEFBZk1icHhBdDIxekVOSE92R05XNW5JNUkyc3NlMHh4dXF1TnVZcktmYjZKdEx3b0JESEhLWGxtOXZSQXNMY0dNWWFOLXdqWTJNcjZfaFZUcWhBME1vLVNDLUJ3U3l4aXhIZWVjRG5JX05GdmJpbGIya01rNUFaZFZaa3JXeFlNMTJTTjd0TW9GVXhZYWx4MDhVcTlrWQ?oc=5) |
| WWMT | Western Michigan AD Dan Bartholomae to take same position at Michigan State | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwJBVV95cUxPRGFNMW11eGRVakNDNnlDRHVpM2NVQ1h5SVhIVTJsNVBjMlpBYS0zckh3S3YzUFV4MFZTcTFfc1NPbGx5ZkRBcUJFNnVwTUROS1ZJRURsaWVJNlQ3dmpEdW52dkVSdkZBUDJsdjI5YXNOYUJMQTZ4bUxTZmlMRXRXczBiTmdySlJkaVJQMlpORDFwRkQ0TTREMk5MdEhXVzJZSjdGWWdseE5LRWRnSHlRQkZwdzBsY0dpSlpPTnVUOXRnbU1INWh4a2NpSlF4M2o1RFp2d2VxVW1XQm0xNEYxekx6QU8waWpDWVpsamhTNVkwRkdYYTV2MFlXemQxZ2sxdUVCTjFQbnItNUlZQ1RycG03MjVMMUNmcU50Um9JTQ?oc=5) |
| WOODTV.com | Report: WMU athletic director heading to East Lansing to lead MSU | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxNQ09abGFNVTFWVW13MnFzSEdjLVhqVzgwek1yMGJkNy1lallRWmstdVhCN1NpRnRCYTNsMzZWWEx4VldrTHJyQ3lnMThjQ3VqbHUxbjBxSGlOdDRpUHg4VFEwVF9sMGpHYWI1TFZfbF82V1hvbVRkOVc3Mk1YZnNkR0hjcHd2dE1JQk9XemNWTzdkSDZCY0YzZlc0SdIBoAFBVV95cUxQMkZHVWRGemNhT0trandzUVBaaTNwX2NJWU1jTWxkdjJBekJYMFlpRkhfNjdzX25MMG5DQlhJc1podzJ5V29uY29fYlJxT0MzTmlzOVRacF96c041cE95RFliY3FaRnhmcWpNYTBMTTFYY1pTS3B6RUJsMjlrN3JTLVo0NkFiVXgzak01LVVVMDV5MW9haUxHYmlUVy0zOEFw?oc=5) |
| WILX | MSU to hire Western Michigan’s Dan Bartholomae as next athletic director: report | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxNQmhQZUVVbGtpWGo0S1FWNDlNdmZXb255NlpXQlpxbHRwaVVBMFR0RmFTb0pXRHRVSHJJbWlpeU5ETnVCd3ZQZXZPamZ2cEs2Q255VGRMendSaC1SdXpZWTBERXpzZGZTVjd2bk1zLTVVUGpRYUZmYlA5aVZxOU55YTlHVHhoNjc2NWxfbmpLTGlaaTJhUnA5NTJ5ZjUwUGItbVNUQVR3ajU?oc=5) |
| Yahoo Sports | Report: Michigan State to hire WMU’s Dan Bartholomae as next athletic director | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxQZVNwWk5lOXh1MkNjbERMcWdtamdra3lESzU2RlBuSGJrdGh4TWJzSHVDRHlnR09Kek42LUE4NUVEdVZYdmlxcVJoWnB2cXdSOTZfWnF1VzRSZlpWajhKZ3RiMng2QUVpX3JZUTR5YVpqMjJfaUY2cHpCNVFndUowNjQwUF82Zw?oc=5) |
| ESPN | Sources: Michigan State to hire Western Michigan AD Bartholomae | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxOZ3FNNHF3ekE2X3dNQjhyMnZPWV9BOVp2dDBMNnVPRF8tdnE5Yy1Ka3E3bHNKdE1Ic19tU0hQckNQc3ppSHFaeFZoSWxoWmxQMkJfOEFYSW1ROW1tS2JtMVphbWZJcTlLSzloZzRJT0tBTWJydDc3NjZ0R01mcGJueVV6MDlmdS1pUk4tdVEtMzM4Zms4b0xnVDVJcWhDRFBxOHVvcElHa0hsZjRxdVhMcnUxbjhCZlAy?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-08-17/sources-michigan-state-to-hire-western-michigan-ad-bartholomae*