AD backs Badgers' Fickell, targets financial push

Wisconsin is acceptable to summation its fiscal committedness to the shot programme amid a disappointing season, but volition propulsion up with embattled manager Luke Fickell, diversion manager Chris McIntosh wrote Monday successful a missive to Badgers fans.

McIntosh acknowledged the Badgers' play has "fallen good abbreviated of our standards" nether Fickell, the fourth-year manager who is 15-18 astatine the schoolhouse and 2-5 this season. Wisconsin has endured consecutive location shutout losses to Iowa and Ohio State, the team's archetypal location shutouts since 1980.

Fans person chanted for Fickell to beryllium fired, but helium volition proceed to enactment connected the job, astatine slightest for now. The Badgers sojourn No. 6 Oregon this week.

"Coach Fickell sees the imaginable successful what this squad tin be, arsenic bash I, and helium shares the aforesaid disappointment and frustration," McIntosh wrote. "Our student-athletes proceed to basal and combat with quality and pridefulness arsenic they conflict done this infinitesimal of adversity, and they merit each of our support."

Wisconsin's fiscal committedness has been questioned during the team's struggles nether Fickell, and McIntosh wrote that investments volition increase, particularly with jock recruiting and retention.

"In this caller epoch of collegiate athletics, the wide world is that precocious expectations indispensable beryllium matched with an adjacent level of support," McIntosh wrote. "The results of this elevated enactment whitethorn not beryllium immediate, but we are assured the absorption volition beryllium affirmative and long-term."

McIntosh, a erstwhile violative lineman and squad skipper who played connected 2 Rose Bowl teams astatine Wisconsin, hired Fickell from Cincinnati successful precocious 2022. Fickell is connected a rolling seven-year declaration that takes him done the 2031 season, and helium would beryllium owed much than $25 cardinal if fired this fall.

His teams person dealt with backmost injuries passim his tenure, and Wisconsin ranks 132nd nationally successful scoring this fall.