The University of Wisconsin has announced a contract extension for head football coach Luke Fickell through the 2031 season, despite Fickell having just posted the Badgers' first losing season in 23 years.
Financial details of his contract are not yet available, according to Sports Illustrated.
Fickell made $7,725,000 this past season, when the team went 5-7. His buyout was listed at more than $40 million as of December.
Wisconsin has gone 13-13 in two seasons (plus a 2022 bowl game) under Fickel, who came to Madison after leading the University of Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff in 2021. He replaced the fired Paul Chryst, who owned one of the highest winning percentages in Wisconsin history, and interim head coach Jim Leonhard.
"The move was a bit surprising to college football fans, as Fickell's long-term job security was in question this offseason after the Badgers posted a 5–7 record. It didn't help that the Badgers ended the season on a five-game losing streak, too," Madison Williams of SI wrote. "Some fans likely thought Wisconsin could move on from Fickell in the near future after a disappointing start to his tenure. Instead, not only did are they sticking with him as coach, they decided to extend him for even longer."
The last time Wisconsin suffered a losing season was when the Badgers went 5–7 under Barry Alvarez in 2001. Until this season, that was the last time the UW had not been invited to a bowl game.
"While Wisconsin has a history of doing rolling contracts, the decision to extend Fickell through the 2031 season is a pretty wild move considering the situation he's in," wrote David Hookstead of OutKick, under a headline that used the word "insane" to describe the UW's decision. "Is the Wisconsin standard now to extend coaches who have losing seasons and snap bowl streaks? If so, fans have every right in the world to be livid.
"I understand why rolling contracts exist, but at some point, the brakes need to be hit until fans see some results."
