![Dan \"Big Cat\" Katz, Barstool Sports Rough N Rowdy
C4 9874](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4944,h_2781/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/146/01ktybrf8ewvsa7z8rjz.jpg "Dan \\"Big Cat\\" Katz, Barstool Sports Rough N Rowdy
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Barstool's Dan Katz, aka Big Cat, is now teasing a new NIL fundraising opportunity with Wisconsin, calling it "big stuff coming" after "really good conversations." This is an important development and a complete change of direction with Wisconsin fundraising.
The saga of Wisconsin's NIL fundraising reached a fever pitch earlier this year when Barstool's Big Cat raised an alarm that Wisconsin fans had long suspected. That Chris McIntosh and his athletic department did a terrible job of fundraising and reaching out to potential big-pocket donors. The fact that the average Wisconsin fan can only name one big donor is a huge problem (Ted Kellner).
There are other big names out there that would seemingly donate if only asked. One particular high-profile name is Barstool's Dan Katz, aka Big Cat. His name has been floating around since Barstool's founder, Dave Portnoy, started throwing money at his alma mater, Michigan.
Katz originally evaded these conversations, but recently said that Wisconsin has never reached out to him, and he knows other potential donors who also haven't been asked. He said, "Use me. Exploit me. Have me do whatever you need to try to get money to put competitive teams on the fields and on the courts."
During an interview with Bret Bielema on today's Pardon My Take, @BarstoolBigCat said he's had "really good conversations, got some big stuff coming with Wisconsin NIL."
— Colten Bartholomew (@CBartWSJ) June 12, 2026
This is after he'd said in an interview that no one from Wisconsin had contacted him re: NIL program.
Big Cat is now going to help Wisconsin with fundraising in a new NIL development
Related: Luke Fickell's current bragging rights over Ohio State will give Wisconsin fans hope
Big Cat is ready to help the athletic department, and now it finally seems as if the athletic department is ready to use his help. In Katz's original idea, it wasn't simply about him personally donating money (though that will certainly be an aspect) but using his high-profile status and connections to help elevate the program.
This is exactly what Wisconsin and Luke Fickell need. One of the public excuses that former athletic director Chris McIntosh has used about the demise of the football program was a lack of funding. The pushback was always that he needed to do a better job of fundraising and pushing things into the future. NIL isn't going anywhere, and programs that are slow to adjust are sliding into a losing program fast.
This has been the big worry for Wisconsin, and it's aggravating to watch other programs figure this out quicker than the Badgers. However, now it seems like things are changing, and all this without an athletic director. Or was that the vacuum that was needed to create the change necessary?
Read also: Luke Fickell enters race for elite OT with a Wisconsin camp coming soon
As Wisconsin works on hiring a new athletic director this summer, one of the big questions will be around this exact issue. Athletic directors are now expected to be the main drive in fundraising. McIntosh seemed to struggle with this outside of a small pool of donors. Pushing into other areas and new donor bases seemed to be impossible for him.
This is why Katz was frustrated. He said, there is a whole group of people who have plenty of money that can help, but you aren't even reaching out to them. It shouldn't be the responsibility of the big donors to call up the athletic department and say, "You need some money?" It has to work with Wisconsin reaching out first. Katz may be instrumental in this change, and his tease of "big stuff" is exciting for Wisconsin fans.
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