The Wisconsin Athletics Department announced today that Luke Fickell got what is considered a yearly extension. It's an extension that's automatically in his contract that allows his seven-year window to continue to be seven years. He now has until 2032, and the details in his contract should be the envy of any sports agent and the ire of any Wisconsin fan. It's a brutal contract that Wisconsin will continue to eat unless, somehow, someway, Luke Fickell can turn the ship around.
The extension increases Fickell's buyout if the #Badgers were to part ways with him from ~$38.1mil to $44.8mil.
— Kedrick Stumbris (@KedrickStumbris) February 19, 2025
If UW were to fire Fickell without cause, Fickell would be owed 80% of the remaining value of his contract. His annual extensions also come with a $100k raise. https://t.co/bDOUhFTOxU
The details of Luke Fickell's contract are mind-boggling for Wisconsin fans
The above social media post from Kedrick Stumbris of Athlon Sports gets into the worst parts of the contract for Wisconsin. It's a very coach-friendly deal, as you can see. The part that should start the whole frustration is the line that says, "Fickell's contract is extended yearly if Athletic Director Chris McIntosh's recommendation indicates that Fickell has achieved 'satisfactory performance.'"
Explain how Fickell had a satisfactory performance after seeing a more than 20-year streak of winning seasons go down the drain. The first losing season since 2001 just happened, and somehow, the AD says, "Yup! Good work, Fick!"
The 2025 buyout is actually higher now for Luke Fickell than it was in 2024
However, it gets worse when you realize that the buy-out doesn't go down, but it GOES UP! When the AD and the board approved this extension, it actually took the number that went down from $44 million after the 2024 season to $38 million and ramped it back up past $44 million. This extension made it even harder to get rid of Fickell if he throws another 5-7 season out there next year.
The question that many Badger fans should be asking is, "WHAT?!" this deal seems to be already crazy, but to continue to push the ball down the road makes it even worse. This is an extension that should make Wisconsin fans very aggravated.