Dan Katz Pleads with Wisconsin to 'Exploit Me' to Help Raise NIL Funds

One of Wisconsin's most vocal alumni is pleading with the athletics department to "use" and "exploit" him to help bolster their NIL operation.

Dan "Big Cat" Katz, the media personality employed by Barstool Sports and co-host of the number one sports podcast in the world, Pardon My Take, recently discussed his conversations — or lack thereof — with Wisconsin about pitching in on the NIL Front.

"Use me. Exploit me. Have me do whatever you need to try to get money to put competitive teams on the fields and on the courts."@BarstoolBigCat tells FOS about Wisconsin's NIL problem and his recent efforts to help @UWBadgers compete in the NIL era. pic.twitter.com/Ix2kFDKUvq
— Front Office Sports News (@FOS_News_) April 22, 2026

Katz made sure to mention that he has a call with Wisconsin scheduled for this week, which appears to be a big step in the communication between the famous alum and the Badgers' athletics department. Still, he didn't hide his frustration with how difficult it's been for him to get involved.

“I have struggled with Wisconsin NIL. I have tried to get involved. I have not received as many phone calls back as I’d like to. I want to help fundraise," he said.

This is obviously not what Wisconsin fans want to hear, especially considering how shaky the school's NIL funding has been since compensating players for their Name, Image and Likeness went into effect.

Wisconsin's Struggles in the NIL Space are Well-Documented

Former University of Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh. | Mark Stewart / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Imagn Content Services, LLC

It's an extremely poorly-kept secret that the Badgers' have struggled to generate the funds necessary to sustain their massive athletics operation in this new world order of college sports. And when men's basketball head coach Greg Gard explicitly says Wisconsin is in the bottom half of the Big Ten in funding, it rightfully raises questions about how the Badgers can sustain competitive programs moving forward.

Now, Wisconsin athletics certainly has significant donors that have helped keep the department afloat; most Badgers fans could tell you the name Ted Kellner. But alumni outreach and tapping into extraneous donor pools lacked under previous athletic director Chris McIntosh. Katz, one of the school's most visible alumni and a major player in the sports media space, wants to change that.

“My plea to them has been, ‘Hey, I have the number one sports podcast, I’m passionate about the Badgers. I want them to succeed. Use me. Exploit me. Have me go and do fundraising. Have me do whatever you need to try to get money to put competitive teams on the fields and the courts, and they haven’t exploited me yet," he continued.

Katz' frustrations should resonate with Badgers fans everywhere. Because while not every Wisconsin fan is in the position to help the program in the same monetary capacity as Katz, they recognize that this is a top public university with a massive alumni base that offers countless potential revenue streams. No, Wisconsin doesn't have a mega-donor like Oregon's Phil Knight or Indiana's Mark Cuban, but the Badgers have more than enough famous and relevant alumni — like Katz — who could feasibly help the school's NIL capabilities.

Ultimately, it appears Wisconsin is finally coming to its senses and beginning to understand the value of its successful alumni like Katz who are passionate about Badger athletics. The next athletic director must continue down this path, for the sake of the entire department.

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