Wisconsin’s place in the Big Ten picture has taken a sharp hit, and USA TODAY’s latest conference ranking only underscores how far the Badgers have fallen under Luke Fickell.
In Paul Myerberg’s Big Ten hierarchy, Wisconsin landed 12th, a spot that reflects the program’s slide as it heads into a pivotal fourth full season with Fickell at the helm. The Badgers are 17-21 overall under him, with just one winning season since he replaced Paul Chryst.
Myerberg didn’t soften the assessment. “The bottom has dropped out in a flash for a program that was once among the most consistently successful in the Power Four. The Badgers were a consistent Big Ten contender punching above its weight through the latter stages of the Paul Chryst era,” he wrote.
He then zeroed in on the results under Fickell. “The poor results under embattled coach Luke Fickell have dropped Wisconsin into the bottom half of the league.”
The record tells the story plainly. Wisconsin has gone 7-6, 5-7 and 4-8 in Fickell’s three full seasons, a steady decline that has fueled growing talk that 2026 could be a make-or-break year for his tenure.
There were some difficult circumstances in 2025, with a brutal schedule hanging over the season. Still, the Badgers finished just 2-5 against ranked teams.
Both of those ranked wins came at home and late in the year, which at least leaves open the possibility of carrying some momentum into 2027. But that wasn’t enough to move the needle in Myerberg’s ranking.
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