A slow start to the season has prompted University of Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh to announce that the university would increase its financial investment in the Badger football team.
According to ESPN, McIntosh promised an increase in investment in recruiting and athlete retention.
“In this new era of collegiate athletics, the clear reality is that high expectations must be matched with an equal level of support," said McIntosh. "The results of this elevated support may not be immediate, but we are confident the direction will be positive and long-term.”
The promise of investment by the university is the opposite of the fan’s reaction to UW’s two-win start to the season, as Camp Randall Stadium has several times erupted into chants of “Fire Fickell.” The three-year coach has a rolling seven-year contract, and if he were fired this season, he would be owed more than $25 million.
"Coach Fickell sees the potential in what this team can be, as do I, and he shares the same disappointment and frustration," McIntosh continued. "Our student-athletes continue to stand and fight with character and pride as they battle through this moment of adversity, and they deserve all of our support."
While McIntosh shared his goals for increasing the football team’s budget, he did not specifically address how much money would be infused into the team, nor where the funds would be coming from.
According to reporting from USA Today and the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database, Wisconsin’s 2023-24 spending ranks the Badgers in 11th place out of 16 public schools in the Big Ten. UW reported spending $1.4 million on recruiting, $715,724 on “direct overhead and administrative expenses,” and a total spend of roughly $40.5 million.
“We still have a lot of football to play this season,” said McIntosh. “Wisconsin Football and Wisconsin Athletics are important to our campus, to our community, to our entire state and to all our loyal fans and alumni.”
