The Wisconsin Badgers made some major changes this offseason at all levels. They had changes on the coaching staff. There were several major moves in the front office. The roster was overhauled. And, most importantly, their budget for the 2026 season grew significantly.
Amidst an ugly campaign last year, then-Badgers Athletic Director Chris McIntosh announced that head coach Luke Fickell would return for the 2026 season, citing the need to give Fickell more resources to compete.
In addition, key booster Ted Kellner shared that Wisconsin needed to be in the top six of Big Ten spending, with the Badgers lagging behind over the past few years.
Well. Wisconsin’s budget grew significantly this offseason, and we saw that with the number of transfers brought in, starting with quarterback Colton Joseph. Overall, though, Wisconsin’s roster’s cost is expected to exceed $25 million this season, according to The Athletic’s Justin Williams.
That cost places the pressure on Fickell to succeed this season after all the major changes at Wisconsin over the last year. But the head coach isn’t shying away from the challenge.
“Year 3 was not going to plan for the Wisconsin football coach, bottoming out with back-to-back home shutout losses last October,” Williams wrote. “So when athletic director Chris McIntosh came knocking in the midst of a six-game skid, Fickell expected the worst. The former Badgers offensive lineman gave him a choice instead.
“He asked me, ‘What do you want to do?'” Fickell said in an interview with The Athletic. “‘You’re at a crossroads. Where are we headed here? Either you’re all in, or find an escape route.'”
At that moment, Fickell elected to stick through the mud, rather than accept his near-$25 million buyout, and was looking to help pull the Badgers out from under. He’s now still in charge in 2026, and knows the pressure on him.
Williams revealed that Wisconsin’s budget, which is north of $25 million this season, is more than double what it was in 2025.
“Fickell and other Wisconsin officials declined to talk specific dollar figures, but the Badgers’ roster budget is north of $25 million in 2026 and more than double what it was in 2025, according to people briefed on the budget who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly.”
Kellner chimed in, reiterating that Wisconsin was in the bottom third to bottom half of Big Ten spending last season, which has now changed.
“As I understand it, we were in the bottom third, bottom 40 percent of the Big Ten in terms of NIL money (last season),” Kellner said in the story. “I heard we’re in the top half this year.”
It seems like Wisconsin is finally with the times in NIL spending.
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