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Mark Hollis tells AP he’s interested in Michigan State AD job after Kentucky hires J Batt

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Mark Hollis tells AP he’s interested in Michigan State AD job after Kentucky hires J Batt


The University of Kentucky has hired athletic director J Batt away from Michigan State, a little more than a year after he left Georgia Tech.

Kentucky announced the move on Monday, delivering another blow to Michigan State’s leadership.

“The championship standard has been established at Kentucky and we are committed to upholding that standard of excellence,” Batt said.

Shortly thereafter, former Michigan State AD Mark Hollis told The Associated Press he wants to lead the Spartans’ athletic department again.

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“I would be interested in talking to Michigan State about it,” Hollis said at Detroit Golf Club, where he was serving his role as tournament director of the PGA Tour’s Rocket Classic. “I care for the university and I want to help it in any way I can.”

Batt will succeed retiring Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart. Barnhart has had the job since 2002, making him the longest-serving AD in the Southeastern Conference. Barnhart won’t take on a high-paying role at the school after Gov. Andy Beshear questioned decision-making at the school.

A year ago, Michigan State hired Batt away from Georgia Tech, where he was its athletic director since the fall of 2022. Before leading Georgia Tech’s athletic department, he was executive deputy athletic director at Alabama and served as chief operating officer and chief revenue officer in the athletic department.

Michigan State athletic director J Batt speaks during a news conference, June 4, 2025, in East Lansing, Mich. Credit: AP/Larry Lage

“Across these institutions, J has distinguished himself as a record-breaker in fundraising and as a leader who strategically invests in facilities to maximize resources and revenue,” University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said.

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Batt’s exit follows Michigan State President Kevin M. Guskiewicz choosing to leave for the same job at Clemson.

Hollis had a successful run for a decade as AD at Michigan State before announcing his retirement in 2018 amid the fallout from the sex abuse scandal involving Larry Nassar, a former Michigan State sports doctor who also worked for USA Gymnastics.

He also was credited with innovative concepts such as putting a court in the middle of a football field as he did when Michigan State played Kentucky in 2003 at Detroit’s Ford Field in front of a then-world-record crowd of 78,129 at a basketball game.

Hollis, a Michigan State graduate and close friend of Spartans basketball coach Tom Izzo, hired Mark Dantonio and he became the school’s all-time winningest football coach.



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Michigan

AAA: Michigan gas prices fall below $4 per gallon

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AAA: Michigan gas prices fall below  per gallon


Michigan drivers are getting some much welcomed relief at the gas pump as the cost for regular unleaded has fallen below $4 for the first time since April.

Michigan gas prices went down 14 cents since last week, with a gallon of unleaded fuel costing an average of $3.96. The price is about 25 cents less than drivers were paying last month, but still around 80 cents more than Michiganders paid this time last year, according to AAA.

For a 15-gallon tank of gas, that equates to an average of $59 to fill up — an increase of about $8 from 2025’s highest price reported in August.

In Metro Detroit, average daily gas prices decreased to $4.01 — or about 13 cents less than last week’s average but still 81 cents more than the same time last year.

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The most expensive averages reported by AAA were in Ann Arbor ($4.05), Metro Detroit ($4.01), and Lansing ($3.97), with the least expensive averages reported in Marquette ($3.62), Traverse City ($3.90), and Flint ($3.91).

Domestic gasoline supply decreased from 216.3 million barrels to 214 million, according to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), while gasoline demand increased from 8.73 million barrels per day to 9.21 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 10 million barrels per day.

Daily national, state, and metro gas price averages can be found at Gasprices.aaa.com.

Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.



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Rain chances linger into Monday across Southeast Michigan

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Rain chances linger into Monday across Southeast Michigan


Scattered rain will stay in the forecast tonight into early Monday before drier weather arrives

Rain chances this week for Southeast Michigan (WDIV)

4Warn Weather – A system moving through the Ohio Valley will continue to bring rain chances to Southeast Michigan tonight into midday Monday.

Rain this evening will be scattered, and although a few rumbles of thunder can’t be ruled out, severe weather is not expected.

What radar could look like 10pm Sunday (WDIV)

Rain chances continue overnight with low temperatures falling to the mid 60s.

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Forecasted low temps tonight (WDIV)

Isolated rain will linger into midday Monday.

What radar could look like 8am Monday (WDIV)

We’ll see more sun Monday afternoon and evening with highs in the lower 80s.

Skies will be mostly sunny Tuesday and Wednesday. Highs Tuesday will be near 85° before a bump in the heat Wednesday.

Southeast Michigan will have elevated heat stress levels Wednesday with highs near 90° (WDIV)

Highs Wednesday and Thursday will be closer to 90° before we fall back to the lower 80s Friday.

Southeast Michigan will have the chance for rain Thursday and Friday.

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Fifth Third, Comerica merger: What Michigan customers need to know

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Fifth Third, Comerica merger: What Michigan customers need to know


DETROIT – A major banking merger is reshaping the financial landscape in Michigan — and customers need to take action before the changes take effect.

Fifth Third Bank completed its acquisition of Comerica, and beginning Sept. 8, Comerica customers will transition onto Fifth Third’s systems. The switch affects everything from mobile banking to direct deposits.

What Comerica customers need to do

Steve Davis, regional market president for Michigan, said the transition is designed to be straightforward for most customers.

“For the most part, what our customers are going to need to do is on September 8th, they’re going to log in to the Fifth Third app or their website, create a new user ID, a new password, and they’re good to go,” Davis said. “Their debit card, their ATM, their direct deposit information, all their ACHs — that’s all going to transfer over for them.”

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To help customers prepare, welcome packets will be mailed in August walking through every step of the process. The bank says it is also staffing up to handle an expected surge in questions.

“It’s an all hands on deck to make sure that we can exceed customer expectations,” Davis said.

Customers looking for additional information can visit Fifth Third’s Better Together page.

Branch closures, but more options overall

The $10.9 billion all-stock deal — finalized in October — comes with significant changes to the branch network. More than 70 locations are slated to close as part of the merger.

The bank says it is working to relocate affected employees or help them find other opportunities. And while the closures mark a loss for some communities, Davis says the combined network ultimately gives customers more options.

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“If you’re in the tri-county of Southeast Michigan — like Livingston, Macomb, Wayne, etc., we’re going to be number one in terms of branches there,” Davis said. “In the City of Detroit, we’re going to be number one in terms of branches there, so for our customers on average it’s a much better thing than a worse thing.”

Will Comerica Park be renamed?

Perhaps no question has captured more public attention than the fate of Comerica Park — the downtown Detroit ballpark that is home to the Detroit Tigers.

Could it become Fifth Third Park? That answer isn’t ready yet.

“We’re evaluating everything — we’ll decide something in the offseason,” Davis said. “It’s really cool that people care so much about Comerica Park and what it’s meant to them.”

Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.

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