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Wisconsin Badgers' reported NCAA penalties for 2023 recruiting violation should have minimal impact

The Wisconsin Badgers were fined, and Luke Fickell will go through very brief recruiting restrictions as a result of NCAA violations from 2023 for rules that have since changed.
Lorin Cox|
Oct 26, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell questions a call during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Camp Randall Stadium.
Oct 26, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell questions a call during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Camp Randall Stadium. | Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The NCAA handed down penalties to the Wisconsin Badgers for violating a recruiting rule in 2023 that has since changed, as first reported by the Wisconsin State Journal.

It shouldn't have much of a functional impact on the program.

The report says members of Fickell's staff made phone calls to recruits earlier than the recruiting calendar allowed. The school self-reported the violations and instituted self-imposed penalties.

In the time since those violations occurred, the NCAA changed the rules on when coaches can call recruits, and the case report says the majority of those calls would now be permissible.

The penalties imposed by the NCAA were negotiated in a settlement with UW and amount to little more than a slap on the wrist.

The school will have to pay only $25,000 in fines and goes on probation for one year. Luke Fickell and outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell are barred from contacting recruits from June 15 through June 21.

That will still allow them to be part of official visits, and other staff members should be able to fill in any gaps in recruiting those days next week.

The program issued a statement on the violation, noting its accountability on the matter.

Wisconsin Athletics is deeply committed to maintaining the highest level of integrity and holding ourselves accountable. We believe in doing things the right way, no matter the consequences.



The issue at hand occurred two years ago under a rule that was actively being changed and no longer exists. We identified the mistake and were proactive in self-reporting and investigating and resolving the issue.
UW spokesperson

A few former Badgers staffers will face slightly stronger penalties, but overall, this incident sounds like a much bigger deal on first glance than it is in reality.

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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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