When name, image, likeness emerged under NCAA rules in July 2021, Wisconsin was already behind.
Now as UW Athletics evaluates the health of its programs amid multiple disappointing football seasons, Wisconsin’s evolution — or lack thereof — to the NIL-era of college athletics is back under a microscope.
Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh released a letter in October 2025 expressing his "disappointment" with the football season, writing that UW Athletics is “committed to elevating the investment” in football and the “tools necessary to succeed.”
This offseason, they put that plan to work. UW Athletics introduced more funding, NIL-centered positions and legislation to support NIL efforts. The next few seasons on the football field and around the university will show just how successful those efforts are.
But Wisconsin’s investments are already late, especially as their NIL strategy was slow to evolve with national powerhouse programs like UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington joining the Big Ten.
A study from the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy estimated Ohio State and Michigan are the biggest NIL football spenders in the Big Ten, with Wisconsin estimated to be near the bottom with less than $9 million in NIL spending. No other Big Ten schools are within the top 10 spenders nationally.
It took until June 2022 to establish The Varsity Collective, which was launched as the “first and only donor and alumni led NIL collective” at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The collective was created to create pathways for its student-athletes to maximize their NIL potential, while fortifying the Badgers brand through emotional and financial support from its unique fanbase, UW Athletics said.
Before, McIntosh said student athletes had generated over six figures in NIL revenue through a licensing agreement with Fanatics that allowed the company to sell jerseys with their names to earn royalty per sale, according to the Athletic.
In an interview with the Athletic in 2022, Rob Master, a 1993 UW-Madison graduate, said the collective’s mission is not limited to assisting athletes with maximizing their NIL opportunities, but also connecting them with mentors in Wisconsin's alumni network.
“[The collective is] a uniquely Wisconsin experience about giving access, giving education, giving true partnerships with brands,” Joe Thomas, former Wisconsin offensive lineman, told the Athletic.
In November 2022, McIntosh said the university needs fan commitment emotionally and financially in supporting programs and student athletes. The collective was a new step in Wisconsin’s NIL future, and McIntosh said it was part of contributing to the success of student athletes.
In February 2024, after the introduction of the collective, Wisconsin Athletics announced a partnership with an in-house NIL Partner Services Manager (PSM) through an expanded collaboration with Altius Sports Partners (ASP).
After arriving on campus in August 2023, ASP has overseen recruitment, training and management of the PSM for support of Wisconsin sports. This partnership expanded resources and counseling in NIL for student athletes.
Fickell’s fault or NIL lag?
The 2025 Badgers football team went 4-8 and were shut out by Iowa and Ohio State in back-to-back games midseason. To explain the Badgers’ woes, UW Athletics and donors have pointed to a lack of NIL investment and funding instead of firing head coach Luke Fickell despite fans shouting “Fire Fickell” during games.
The university did not extend his contract at the end of the season, at Fickell’s request. He is currently on a six-year contract that ends in 2032, with two extensions in 2024 and 2025.
Ted Keller, a large UW-Madison donor, told Badger Notes the concern is not with head coach Luke Fickell, but Wisconsin’s ability to compete in NIL.
Kellner said Wisconsin was in the bottom third of the Big Ten in financial resources, but that a jump was coming — sticking with the coaching staff and deciding where to allocate money is where success will come from.
Large donors, financial support and strategic offseason moves are funding Wisconsin’s rebuild to compete with the growing Big Ten.
Amidst the growing angst, Wisconsin Athletics launched Badger Athlete Partners, an NIL initiative in December 2025. Badger Athlete Partners was designed to enhance, support and streamline NIL revenue generation for Wisconsin student athletes.
Adding five NIL dedicated positions, UW Athletics said Badger Athlete Partners support athletes through deal facilitation and management, content creation and storytelling.
Shielding NIL contracts
Two months after the announcement of Badger Athlete Partners, a bill was introduced to shield University of Wisconsin System NIL contracts from Wisconsin’s public records law. NIL records are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, but the bipartisan bill would deny requests for those records, a move the university — and key lawmakers — said is necessary to maintain a competitive advantage.
“We're just trying to make sure that we're protecting student athletes' privacy rights. We're protecting our strategy when we're recruiting other students, so that other colleges wouldn't come in and understand what we're trying to do and take them away from us,” Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Markesan, told The Daily Cardinal.
Dallman said 32 other states have put a similar NIL structure into law and Wisconsin was falling behind.
“Someone like Michigan could come in and ask for all the information of who students were talking to, what contracts they're under, person-identifiable information of who we're all talking to, where they're coming from, and be able to get all that information,” he said.
Some open government advocates have criticized the bill, citing it’s language as too broad. States who have similar laws in place have used NIL laws to justify concealing other transparency obligations.
With legal protections in place, Wisconsin would no longer worry about records requests, private athlete information being released or agreements becoming available to other institutions.
“We want to be in line with the federal government, [but] we also want to make sure that students have their primary rights,” Dallman said. “So there's a huge competitive nature.”
Dallman said NIL spending is not “going to go away,” making it that much more important as college sports turn into a “semi-pro environment.”
McIntosh and Wisconsin volleyball head coach Kelly Sheffield testified alongside UW-Madison Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs Nancy Lynch on Feb. 11 in favor of the bill. Dallman said McIntosh is trying to get within the top five of NIL funding in the Big Ten.
The law includes additional NIL requirements, with student athletes unable to enter agreements not aligned with Board of Regents policies. Student athletes would also have to disclose any third-party contracts before entering additional agreements.
The senate passed the Republican-led legislation Mar. 17 with support from five Democrats. Gov. Tony Evers told the Cardinal he plans to sign the bill, despite objections from some in the Senate GOP caucus.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu has drawn criticism for passing the bill, with some Senate Republicans opposing the move over its use of $14.6 million in state funds annually to maintain athletic facilities. UW Athletics said this money is needed to allocate more stable funding to NIL.
McIntosh told the Wisconsin State Journal that without the bill, “everything is on the table” to increase revenue and cut costs. He said the university would have to reevaluate expectations for success and opportunities provided, and did not rule out cutting sports.
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin expressed support for the bill, but said clarity and stronger guardrails are important.
Where Wisconsin stands
As players enter the transfer portal and extend their college athletic careers beyond the traditional four-year university stay, NIL money has become central to recruiting the country’s top athletes Wisconsin’s football rebuild will be no different.
Indiana’s rapid rise from a Big Ten bottom feeder to defending national champions was done in no small part through a dedication and commitment to prioritizing NIL spending, exemplifying that with the right tools, Wisconsin has the potential to reach new heights despite its current losing ways.
Over 30 new transfers joined Wisconsin football this offseason after Fickell and UW Athletics out-bid other teams.
Building a new $285 million practice facility cements the physical performance of those athletes.
Dedication to high-end facilities through state and tax-payer funding will retain talented athletes, but Wisconsin needs a strong coaching base to lead the Badgers through a winning season.
Not extending Fickell’s contract and the departure of offensive lineman coach AJ Blazek is the beginning of what could be a clean house if money does not prove success next season. With goals to be top five in spending, Wisconsin has a long way to go.
