Western Michigan Loses Athletic Director, But Gets $5.1 Million Out Of It: Puck Drop

For the second straight summer, Dan Bartholomae was hailed as being a strong a candidate for the athletic director opening at Michigan State. This time he landed the gig as the school announced his hiring on Monday, but the gap in time ended up being costly.

When Bartholomae, the vice president and director of athletics at Western Michigan since 2022 (after spending five years as the executive deputy athletic director at Oregon State), wasn’t hired away last year he signed a six-year contract extension that paid him at least $750,000 annually and included a $5.1 million buyout in the first year.

When J Batt didn’t work out and left for Kentucky after just one year, Bartholomae got the call. Details of his new contract have yet to be revealed, but the payout to WMU must be made within 60 days.

As for why Michigan State believes it has the right man for the job, ESPN reported that during the last academic school year Western Michigan raised a record $21.8 million. It also won the MAC title in football last under Bartholomae hire Lance Taylor.

But the sport Bartholomae arguably had the most success with the Broncos was hockey. Not only did Western Michigan win the 2025 national championship, but it also held on to head coach Pat Ferschweiler, and a new $515 million arena for both hockey and basketball is set to open in 2027.

The Kalamazoo Event Center, in the heart of downtown, will be 430,000 square-foot facility that will seat between 6,500 and 8,000 (depending on the event). It’ll replace the Lawson Ice Arena, a 3,667-seat facility that opened in 1974 and is now considered anything but cutting edge.

WMU will also host a historic outdoor game against in-state rival Michigan inside Waldo Stadium on Jan. 30, 2027.

“The future of college athletics will belong to institutions that embrace innovation while remaining grounded in their mission,” MSU president Kevin Guskiewicz said in a release. “At Michigan State, that mission is clear: to provide our student-athletes with an experience that prepares them to compete at the highest levels, earn a world-class education and become leaders who make a difference long after their playing days are over. Dan shares that commitment and has the experience, vision and values to lead Spartan Athletics into its next era. We are excited to start this next chapter with him as our leader.”

Finally, WMU won 37 league titles under Bartholomae. MSU’s only Big Ten title last year was in men’s tennis.

Following the announcement, Elaine Russell was subsequently named Western Michigan’s Interim VP and Director of Athletics. There's been no word yet on how she plans to spend the extra money.

A special thank you to Dan for his leadership over the past four years. Grateful for the opportunity to work alongside him and for his impact on WMU Athletics. Good things happen to good people — and Dan is one of the best. Wishing him and his family all the best! https://t.co/o2gFnBi2C4
— Elaine Russell (@elainemrussell) August 17, 2026

For more check out our coverage on Michigan State On SI, including a breakdown of Bartholomae's resume.

Puck Drop: Tuesday, August 18, 2026

• The U.S. National Development Program announced the addition of forwards Gerry DiCunzolo, Jackson Hendricks and Griffin Storey to its Under-18 Team for the 2026-27 season. DiCunzolo’s name is especially interesting as he spent last season with the Peterborough Petes in the OHL.

• Per USA Hockey, The U.S. Under-17 Men’s Select Team continues the 2026 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament against Slovakia today (Aug. 18) at 3 p.m. local (9 a.m. ET). A Czech stream of the game from Chomutov, Czechia, is available,

• Recruiting update: Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minn.) goaltender Cade Nystrom committed to Arizona State … Elmira Aviators (NAHL) defenseman Jack Laferriere is heading to Providence. … Ethan Gingeleskie (Avon Old Farms, Conn.) committed to Yale for 2028-29.

• Boston College made the hiring of former Eagles player Ben Smith as an assistant coach official.

Welcome home, Ben!

We're excited to announce that two-time National Champion Ben Smith ’10 joins the staff as an assistant coach!

📰 https://t.co/BfHX3BoJoX pic.twitter.com/jm9ozblEMZ
— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) August 17, 2026

Countdown to the 2026-27 Season

… 45 days

Hockey Quote of the Day

“From a competitive instinct, and the will to win, and doing whatever it takes to win, I feel like that's what my legacy will go down as. Not everything was pretty, not everything was maybe done correctly, but I did learn along my way how to manage teammates and relationships with teammates. … At the end of the day, I wanted to win, and I was competitive as hell.”
Brianna Decker (Wisconsin)

This Date in Hockey History

August 18, 1952: The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted defenseman Moose Goheen. Although the graduate of Valparaiso University never played in the NHL, he was the second American-born player to be enshrined after Hobey Baker.

We'll Leave You With This ...

Check out the new uniforms:

Media Day Vibes pic.twitter.com/NVvsHV1kVL
— Minnesota State Hockey (@MinnStMHockey) August 17, 2026

Add us as a preferred source on Google