Former Cincinnati Bearcats HC Luke Fickell has been on the hot seat all season, with pressure coming from fans to fire Fickell even though he is under contract through the 2031 season.
The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the No. 23 Washington Huskies this weekend by a final score of 13-10, in which their punter, Sean West, led the Badgers in passing with 24 yards on a fake punt completion.
Wisconsin Athletic Director Chris McIntosh announced that Fickell will not be fired this season and will remain the Head Coach for the 2026-27 season.
A lot of Fickell's struggles at Wisconsin have been narrowed down to a lack of NIL, not being able to compete with other schools that can throw more money at big-time recruits that Wisconsin would've normally gotten in the past. The NIL era has created a new wave of competing programs in the Big 10, and the Wisconsin Badgers don't seem to be in the mix.
Wisconsin is running it back with Luke Fickell in 2026 with additional financial support. But do the Badgers have the stomach or funds to compete in the NIL Era? My latest @Rivals
— Greg Smith (@GregSmithRivals) November 10, 2025
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