Wisconsin is sticking with head football coach Luke Fickell, at least for now. Reports from the University imply Fickell will return for the 2026 season, despite the team being shut out in consecutive games.
University of Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh penned a letter to the university’s football fans Monday saying the season has “fallen well short of our standards” and pledging to lead a turnaround effort.
McIntosh also lent public support to Luke Fickell, who has come under fire from Wisconsin fans and national media for the majority of what has been the worst season of Badger football in modern memory.
McIntosh announced Wisconsin will elevate its financial commitment to the football program, and that the school’s infrastructure needs to improve.
“As a department, we must provide our coaches the tools necessary to succeed,” McIntosh wrote. “That means more Athletics-funded investments into infrastructure, staffing and, most importantly, student-athlete recruiting and retention. In this new era of collegiate athletics, the clear reality is that high expectations must be matched with an equal level of support.”
Since July 1, players have been able to benefit from revenue sharing between the university and student-athletes, in addition to NIL money athletes are able to negotiate with private companies. Approximately 75% of the school’s revenue sharing is expected to go to football players.
Whether that will impact the overall talent on the team remains to be seen. The NCAA has relaxed its stance on student-athletes being paid but it is unlikely athletes choose a college based solely on financial gain.
Some in the media have contended that Wisconsin’s woes are related to its lack of NIL resources and that Wisconsin is, therefore, simply not able to gather the high-level recruits other programs like Texas or Ohio State are.
However, Wisconsin football has always had blue chip talent. The list of all-time leading rushers in NCAA history reads as a who’s-who of former Badger running backs. Former defensive stalwart JJ Watt is going to be a first ballot NFL hall of famer, an honor his brother TJ may also receive.
None of this is lost on McIntosh, who played on two Rose Bowl teams with Wisconsin and told Wisconsin fans that the standard the program has set is a lofty one.
“At Wisconsin, we do not shy away from setting lofty expectations-for our teams, our coaches, and for myself. We embrace them and accept the responsibility of meeting those goals,” McIntosh wrote.
McIntosh reportedly met with players on the football team regarding Fickell’s future, in an apparent attempt to take pressure off the players feeling as though they had to play for their coach’s job.
Wisconsin was trounced by Ohio State on Saturday at Camp Randall, losing 34-0 a week after suffering a 37-0 loss to Iowa.
It is the first time Wisconsin has been shut out of consecutive games since 1977.
Fickell was hired in 2022 after a successful run with Cincinnati. He touted modernization of Wisconsin’s traditional ground attack. Fickell’s vision has been to turn Wisconsin into a pass-first, mobile football team.
The results this year have seen Wisconsin rank 132nd in the FBS offensively and be virtually (or literally, in recent games) unable to score against Big Ten competition. The Badgers have been outscored 122-20 by Big Ten opponents.
Wisconsin travels to face sixth-ranked Oregon in its next game, and also faces second-ranked Indiana later in the season.
