The Big Ten Media Days are coming this week, and Luke Fickell and Wisconsin will be one of the first teams to take the microphone. Tuesday, when Fickell takes the podium, Wisconsin fans will be leaning in to listen to what he has to say. His tenure at Wisconsin has gone from bad to worse in the wins department, and 2026 is a pivotal year for his future. Fickell has to find a way to get 6+ wins this season to prove that he's taking the program in the right direction. Anything less and fans will have him packed up and run out of town before the offseason begins.
There are a few things that Badger fans will be listening for. Here are the first three things that I'm going to be paying attention to.
1. The passing game
It's no secret the passing game has been terrible for all three seasons that Fickell has been the coach at Wisconsin. While a lot of it can be blamed on the quarterback situation, there are some real concerns about the wide receivers and tight ends this season. A ton of talent, but almost all of it is unproven. Is Fickell convinced that there are enough playmakers on offense to win some big games this year? Does he talk about explosive plays? Is Colton Joseph elevating those around him and/or are they elevating him?
Fickell has already talked about the quarterback room itself as making him excited, but if Joseph stays healthy, it will be mostly irrelevant. What about the other rooms on the offense? Specifically in the explosive game?
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2. The culture
Last Big Ten Media Days, Fickell was talking about the culture a lot, and now, in hindsight, it seems pretty clear he was covering up for some problems in the locker room. He said things like, "We actually have a leadership group of about 14 guys. To be honest with you, that's where the strength of our program lies. What's going to continue to move us forward." At the time, that sounded promising, but it was a propped-up narrative; the culture crumbled so fast, and the leaders vanished.
Fickell is already talking about new leadership and how the team is leaning on the players that stuck with the program, the resilient ones, the ones that want to see Wisconsin succeed and weathered a four-win season last year. That's his new narrative. It's why he is bringing Sebastian Cheeks, Chris Brooks Jr., and Matthew Jung, it seems. I'll be paying close attention to what he says about the locker room this year, especially with over half the roster being new.
3. Depth and readiness of the offensive line
The rise and fall of Wisconsin football has a lot to do with the offensive line. Bringing in Eric Mateos and some big boys out of the transfer portal should be the elevation that the Badgers need. Fickell seemed to forget that Wisconsin football is all about the trenches. This offseason, that focus has changed.
However, there are a lot of new players. Similar to the receiver room, lots of talent, but most of it unproven. How does Fickell feel about the offensive line? Does he see it as having depth (it clearly didn't last season)? How does he feel about the run game?
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