This season has been a season of coaches getting fired, and yet there is one who has driven the football program into the ground for three years. Who is now is on a historic run of terribleness, and yet is safe according to Wisconsin Athletic Director, Chris McIntosh. The UW AD released a statement that he stands by Luke Fickell and instead of firing him will be looking for ways to invest in the future of the program via NIL.
It's insane. It's actually hard to fathom how someone can be this bad at their job and their boss says, "Yup, I'd like to be bad at mine too!" Yet here we are. The statement is full of tone-deaf and ridiculous things that should make Wisconsin fans furious.
#Badgers AD Chris McIntosh with a message to fans. Talks about supporting Luke Fickell and additional financial investment in the program. pic.twitter.com/zA1gz6O3MN
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) October 20, 2025
A letter sent out by Chris McIntosh should make Wisconsin fans furious
The hard part with the letter is that there is some truth mixed in with some obvious deceptive marketing. Things like "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."
Yes the fans have lofty goals but it seems like the department does not. For a couple of major reasons, even one cited in this document, the lack of financial investment into the program as comparative to other Big Ten institutions. Wisconsin is not even close to Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State, or even some of the middle tier programs like Washington in financial NIL investments.
The other reason the departement seems unserious is that they don't actually seem to be holding the coaching staff accountable. This is the lowest point Wisconsin football has been in decades and instead of moving on, it's status quo.
What makes McIntosh believe that Fickell can do more with more resources? He already can't even do mediocre with mediocre resources. This statement feels like a ploy to not have to pay the buyout which can only mean that Wisconsin football will continue to be terrible, as Fickell has lost the team and can't find a win even at the bottom of the bucket.