Wisconsin AD releases dreaded vote of confidence in Luke Fickell

Things are bad at Wisconsin, but they're not so bad that a 34-0 loss to No. 1 Ohio State can come and go unremarked upon. At 2-5 and in a five-way tie for last place in the Big Ten at 0-4, the fans still expect you to say something. Most hoped that something would be a dismissal of head coach Luke Fickell, but that's not happening. At least not yet.

And so on Monday morning, Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh released a statement of support for Fickell while pledging more support for the program.

"At Wisconsin, we do not shy away from lofty expectations -- for our team, our coaches, and for myself. We embrace them and we accept the responsibility of meeting those goals. While our coaches, staff, and student-athletes continue to demonstrate the work ethic and values that represent UW football, the results are simply not where any of us want them to be. Coach Fickell sees the potential in what this team can be, as do I, and he shares the same disappointment and frustration. Our student-athletes continue to stand and fight with character and pride as they battle through this moment of adversity, and they all deserve our support. 

While we still have a lot of football left to play this season, with the support and significant involvement of Chancellor Mnookin, Athletics is committed to elevating the investment into our football program to position us to compete at the highest level. As a department, we must provide our coaches the tools necessary to succeed. That means more Athletics-funded investments into infrastructure, staffing, and most importantly, student-athlete recruiting and retention. In this new era of collegiate athletics, the clear reality is that high expectations must be matched with an equal level of support. The results of this elevated support may not be immediate, but we are confident that the impact will be positive and long-term."

McIntosh was the second AD to release a vote of confidence in his embattled head coach on Monday morning, though his statement was not as urgent as Florida State's toward Mike Norvell and its struggling football program. 

The statement seems to hinge its support for Fickell around the evidence that team has not quit on him, but the fan base has rendered its verdict already.

McIntosh's statement also begs the question why things had to get this bad for the athletics department to pledge increased support for the program. Fickell went 7-6 in 2023, 5-7 last season, and is 2-5 today with 2-10 a real possibility. The Badgers visit No. 6 Oregon on Saturday, with 5-2 Washington, No. 3 Indiana, No. 23 Illinois and 5-2 Minnesota remaining.