Last week, the House Settlement v. The NCAA was approved, which means a lot of things, but one of those primary things is that collegiate athletes who played between 2016 and the present day are eligible for back pay. The following five players are five great examples of players who should get some compensation for their added value to Wisconsin. Since in the last article, we covered the basketball and football top 5, this will be for all the other sports.
(Note - We also didn't include any present or just graduated players since those are more obvious)
5 Wisconsin players who should get back pay (non-football or basketball)
1. Dana Rettke (Volleyball)
While most of the money will go to football players and a smaller pie to men's basketball, there will still be some back pay for other sports, especially successful sports like women's volleyball at Wisconsin. As a five-time All-American, she was a huge reason Wisconsin won its first National Championship.
2. Daryl Watts (Women's Hockey)
One of the most prolific goal scorers for Wisconsin women's hockey. Helped lead the Badgers to a National Championship in 2021. She was even the one who scored the game-winning goal. She ended her career with 72 goals, 93 assists, and 165 points. She also was the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Award winner for best women's hockey player.
3. Kristen Campbell (Women's Hockey)
She was an amazing goalie who helped the Wisconsin Badgers win a 2019 National Championship. With 27 career shutouts and an impressive .931 save percentage, she is still listed as one of the greatest goalies in Wisconsin history.
4. Sydney Hilley (Volleyball)
She is one of the most decorated Wisconsin volleyball players of all time. She was the Big Ten setter of the year three times in her career and is fourth in the record books on assists with 4,680. She helped Wisconsin win its first national championship in 2021.
5. Morgan McDonald (Men's Track and Field)
Let's throw one on there for the best long-distance runner in school history. While track probably won't qualify for as much compensation as many of the sports (mainly football and basketball), McDonald is very deserving. He is a four-time NCAA Champion: 2019 NCAA Outdoor 5000 Meters, 2019 NCAA Indoor 3000 Meters, 2019 NCAA Indoor 5000 Meters, 2018 NCAA Cross Country. He is the school record-holder in the indoor 3000 meters (7:42.76) and the Big Ten record-holder in the indoor 3000 meters (7:42.76). The list goes on and on about how decorated he is, but that's a good sample.
There are certainly others who should be included, but a round list of five is nice. This is a good start for the players who have been chasing their back pay from Wisconsin since 2016. Is there anyone you would add?