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Wisconsin athletic director stands by Luke Fickell, promises more investment in football

Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh put out a public letter to the fans, standing by head coach Luke Fickell and promising more support for the football program.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin’s new head football coach Luke Fickell, right, is shown with athletic director Chris McIntosh at a news conference Monday, November 28, 2022 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
Wisconsin’s new head football coach Luke Fickell, right, is shown with athletic director Chris McIntosh at a news conference Monday, November 28, 2022 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

Despite the chants of Wisconsin Badgers fans at Camp Randall Stadium, it doesn't sound like Luke Fickell is going anywhere.

After back-to-back home shutouts for the first time in decades, Wisconsin's athletic director Chris McIntosh put out a public letter to the fans, trying to lower the temperature of the situation.

In it, he acknowledged that the performance of the Badgers this season is well short of the program's standard, but he said he and Fickell see the potential of what the team can be.

In response to the disappointing season, McIntosh said the athletic department is "committed to elevating the investment into our football program" when it comes to infrastructure, staffing and recruiting.

"I will not rest in the pursuit of our goals: fielding championship-caliber teams and delivering the pride and joy of success to a new generation of Badgers," McIntosh said. "You have my unrelenting commitment to do what is necessary to make that happen."

The letter appears to be a doubling down from the athletic department to stand behind Fickell and invest more money and support in helping him try to turn the program around.

This comes just days after McIntosh met with players to reassure them in the wake of all the outside noise, leaving many to believe that Fickell will be sticking around for 2026.

Related: Badgers players believe Wisconsin athletic director won't fire head coach Luke Fickell

The letter might not stop the "Fire Fickell" chants during home games, but maybe it can turn down the heat a little bit and reduce some of the distractions around an already struggling team.

It doesn't get any easier for them on Saturday, on the road against No. 6 Oregon

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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