Updated July 28, 2026, 4:58 p.m. CT<\/p>\n
The Wisconsin Badgers<\/a> brought in Luke Fickell thinking he would take them to the College Football Playoffs.<\/p>\n After leading Cincinnati to the promised land, Fickell hasn’t brought that success to Madison.<\/p>\n In fact, it has been the opposite. Fickell is 17-21 overall<\/a> and 10-17 in Big Ten play heading into his fourth season with the Badgers<\/a>.<\/p>\n A buyout has certainly been on everyone’s mind, especially with so many major schools not hesitating to fire their struggling coaches.<\/p>\n Heading into the 2026 season, The Athletic<\/a>‘s Justin Williams revealed the 52-year-old is under contract through March 2032. Should the Badgers decide to move on from Fickell at this point, the buyout is still close to $20 million.<\/p>\n Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!<\/a><\/p>\n New athletic director Shawn Eichorst has a big decision ahead of him<\/a>, but he doesn’t seem to be rushing to replace Fickell. This is a coach who is destined for a make-or-break season, one that will undoubtedly make Eichorst’s decision for him.<\/p>\n Contact\/Follow\u00a0@TheBadgersWire<\/a>\u00a0on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0to follow ongoing coverage of\u00a0Wisconsin Badgers<\/a>\u00a0news, notes and opinion.\u00a0You can also follow Jordon Lawrenz on X @jordonlaw_pxp<\/a>.<\/p>\n