The list of people who are being asked to step out of the background and into the light to weigh in on the current state of Wisconsin football continues to grow. It's a clear sign that there are actual, real, and deep problems. When a super booster is asked to comment on Chris McIntosh and Luke Fickell, there's no bigger sign to a fanbase that the pressure is really high.
Jim Polzin of Badger Extra recently sat down with super booster Ted Kellner to discuss how one of the program's biggest financial supporters is feeling about the direction of the program. That article is behind a paywall, so we won't be divulging exactly what he said, but essentially (and this part is public), he is still supporting both Chris McIntosh and Luke Fickell.
Ted Kellner could snap his fingers and initiate major changes for the Badgers. He instead is adamant that he supports Chris McIntosh and Luke Fickell. https://t.co/zBajNf3uYY
— BadgerExtra (@BadgerExtra) October 28, 2025
The pressure to fix Wisconsin football is at an all-time high and Ted Kellner isn't ready to pay for a change yet
Related: Luke Fickell's lack of any development plan at Wisconsin is eroding its NFL pipeline
There's an old adage about marriages or even couples. That's what a couple is willing to show in public; there's more going on behind the scenes. So if a couple is arguing in the grocery store in front of people, they are more likely to have a much more expressive fight behind closed doors. This adage also holds true for PR-style statements. If this is what they are giving the public on the front, the conversations must be more animated behind closed doors. Or at least we hope so.
The running list of people who are seemingly forced to a microphone to endorse the leadership of McIntosh and Fickell has grown all season. It has been Barry Alvarez, Chris McIntosh (2x), Jennifer Mnookin, and now Ted Kellner.
It's actually weird at this point and maybe a sign of conversations happening behind the scenes. That the PR department is working overtime to make sure the image isn't being tarnished or the leadership of McIntosh or others isn't being thrown under the bus. However, it only indicates mounting negative pressure happening behind the scenes. It's a snowball rolling down a mountain, picking up more and more steam as the fanbase grows increasingly unruly over the current state of the program.