Wisconsin’s football program is roughly one month away from beginning preseason practices and embarking on the second season of the Luke Fickell era. The landscape of the sport will look different with an 18-team Big Ten and an expanded College Football Playoff. As for expectations among Badgers fans? They are optimistic but tempered.
Here are the results of The Athletic’s offseason fan survey, which generated 950 responses. Thanks to everyone who participated.
1. How would you rate the state of Wisconsin’s football program?
Wisconsin is coming off a 7-6 campaign in Year 1 under Fickell, the same record the Badgers finished with in 2022 during a time of unmatched program upheaval. As a result, enthusiasm has shifted slightly, with 28 percent of respondents saying the state of the program was “average,” up from 11.7 percent a year ago. The percentage who voted “excellent” decreased from 11.6 percent to 6.5 percent over the past year, and the percentage who voted “good” decreased from 75.9 percent to 61.4 percent.
2. How would you rate Luke Fickell’s first year and a half as head coach?
Fickell’s rating and the overall state of the program go hand in hand, so it isn’t surprising to see reactions shift a bit. The vision Fickell has for success at Wisconsin is one that wasn’t going to be a quick fix given where the program was when he inherited it. Last year at this time, Fickell received 51.3 percent of the vote in the “excellent” category, with 45.8 percent voting for “good” and just 2.8 percent voting for “average.”
3. What has stood out most to you about Luke Fickell since he was hired?
This question was left open-ended. The clear-cut winner when it came to answers was Fickell’s emphasis on recruiting. Wisconsin signed 11 four-star 247Sports Composite prospects in its 2024 class, which ranked 23rd nationally. And the Badgers have six four-star players committed in their 2025 class. Fickell and his staff also have been aggressive through the transfer portal. As one reader put it: “He will bring in a transfer to upgrade the third-string guard if he thought it would help the team.”
Fans generally showed a willingness to be patient as Fickell builds the program with schemes, coaches and players. One noted, “He seems to be a good leader but needs time.” However, plenty of responses indicated doubt about what Fickell can accomplish at Wisconsin, citing “inconsistency” and “mediocrity” in Year 1. Here is a sampling of more responses:
• “He seems to have the drive and the fire to win, but I’m starting to wonder if he will be able to execute his vision in the new Big Ten.”
• “The first year was a punch in the face. Can he recover?”
• “Not willing to stick with the things that have made the program successful with tweaks. Instead, wants to change everything. I could see us becoming Indiana or Maryland.”
• “We’re … gulp … Nebraska!”
4. Do you think Luke Fickell has Wisconsin’s football program moving in the right direction?
Despite some apprehension about the future, respondents overwhelmingly voted that Fickell is pushing the program forward. His second season at Wisconsin will offer a better indication given the number of opportunities the Badgers have to secure signature victories with games against Alabama, USC, Oregon, Penn State and Iowa, among others.
5. How would you rate the job Chris McIntosh has done as athletic director in his first three years?
McIntosh remains in good standing with respondents, as more than half of voters said he had done a good job for a second consecutive year. The number who voted “excellent” decreased from 39.7 percent to 23.5 percent, and the number who voted “average” increased from 9.4 percent to 16.6 percent. McIntosh’s success as an athletic director will no doubt be tied to what Fickell achieves. McIntosh also hired men’s hockey coach Mike Hastings, whose first Wisconsin team went 26-12-2 and reached the NCAA Tournament.
6. Which position will be Wisconsin’s biggest strength this season?
The results were well spread out, with seven positions receiving at least 77 votes. But the winner was safety, led by senior Hunter Wohler, who is coming off a season in which he led Big Ten defensive backs with 120 tackles and earned Associated Press first-team All-Big Ten honors. Wisconsin also returns seniors Kamo’i Latu and Preston Zachman, as well as junior Austin Brown, who could start at either safety or as the team’s slot cornerback.
Running back received the second-most votes. Wisconsin returns sixth-year senior Chez Mellusi, who could form a strong one-two punch with Oklahoma transfer Tawee Walker. The Badgers also signed three running backs in their 2024 recruiting class, which includes four-star prospects Dilin Jones and Darrion Dupree.
7. Which position will be Wisconsin’s biggest weakness this season?
Wisconsin’s defensive line has a lot to prove, with nearly half of all respondents picking that unit as the weakest position group on the team. James Thompson Jr. returns after recording 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Curt Neal and Ben Barten, who also worked on the first-team defense during spring practices, combined for 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack last season. Wisconsin has a strong young core of defensive linemen, but they could still be a year or two away from being key contributors. Transfers Elijah Hills and Brandon Lane were added to bolster depth at the position.
Interestingly, quarterback earned the second-most votes this time around. Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke and Braedyn Locke are the top two quarterbacks, with redshirt freshman Cole LaCrue and true freshman Mabrey Mettauer as the other scholarship players at the position.
8. How confident are you that offensive coordinator Phil Longo will improve the offense this season?
A year ago, 82.9 percent of respondents said they were either “confident” or “totally confident” that Longo would improve the offense in his first season at Wisconsin. And though Wisconsin’s overall yards per game rose from 363.6 the previous season to 380.5 under Longo, the product left much to be desired. The average yards per play decreased from 5.7 yards to 5.4 yards. Wisconsin went from averaging 26.3 points per game to 23.5 points, which was the lowest for the program in 19 years. A lot more readers are understandably unsure entering this season.
9. How confident are you that defensive coordinator Mike Tressel will improve the defense this season?
The confidence ratio between Tressel and Longo is fairly close. Tressel’s defense last season ranked 38th nationally in total defense and 20th in scoring defense but had too many slow starts that put the group behind early. This season, the Badgers appear to have more players that fit the profile of what Tressel wants at multiple positions, particularly at linebacker.
10. How do you feel about Wisconsin’s approach to NIL compared to this time last year?
One of the most frustrating aspects of the changing name, image and likeness landscape as it relates to Wisconsin has been a general lack of transparency regarding actual dollar amounts, as well as how those funds stack up to other schools competing for the same pool of players. The good news is that Wisconsin has invested resources into NIL through The Varsity Collective, with coaches who seem to understand its importance. Though nearly 60 percent of respondents said they felt Wisconsin’s NIL approach was the same, nearly one-third said it was better. Time will tell how it evolves in the future.
11. How have NIL, the transfer portal, the new College Football Playoff and conference realignment impacted your interest in college football?
The changing landscape of the sport has a wide-ranging impact. Though roughly half of respondents said they felt about the same, 44 percent said they were losing interest in college football. It remains to be seen whether more fans will begin to tune out on a Wisconsin football season, but people at least seem to feel conflicted about how much has shifted. NIL and the transfer portal, in particular, have made roster movement much more transactional. And with unlimited transfers in place, it’s harder than ever to keep track of who’s on the team.
12. Can Wisconsin recruit high school and transfer portal players well enough to reach a College Football Playoff?
Wisconsin’s door to the College Football Playoff feels more open than it did in the four-team format. With 12 Playoff teams, including potentially three from a major conference, the Badgers no longer have to win the Big Ten championship to be a Playoff contender. Wisconsin has upgraded its high school recruiting efforts and has been active in the transfer portal. Of course, the Badgers also are competing in an expanded conference that is as difficult as ever.
13. Can Wisconsin recruit high school and transfer portal players well enough to win a national championship?
Qualifying for the College Football Playoff and actually winning a national title are two different animals. Even if Wisconsin compiled a magical season that led to a Playoff berth, the Badgers would have to win either three or four games on the way to a title, depending on whether they earned a first-round bye as one of the top four seeds. That would mean beating the types of teams Wisconsin has traditionally struggled with and doing so on multiple occasions without a slip-up. It’s not impossible, but the majority of respondents say it’s improbable.
14. What would you define as a “successful season” for Wisconsin this fall? In other words, what’s the minimum you would consider as a good year for the Badgers?
Incremental progress seems to be the name of the game for Wisconsin on the heels of four consecutive underwhelming seasons, which includes a 7-6 record last season under Fickell. Wisconsin very well could be a better team in 2024 but still struggle to produce more wins given the tough schedule. One-fourth of voters see success as Wisconsin being in the Playoff hunt late in the season, and 18.3 percent of respondents consider success to be building for the future, with another bowl game appearance and a strong recruiting class.
15. Will Wisconsin win the Big Ten championship in the next five years?
It’s interesting how much this response has shifted in the past year. A year ago, 55.5 percent of voters said Wisconsin would win a Big Ten championship in the next five years. Those answers also came before Oregon and Washington were added to the Pac-12 haul of teams, along with USC and UCLA, joining the Big Ten this season. Washington played for the national championship last season (and lost to Michigan), and Oregon is 22-5 in two seasons under Dan Lanning. Leapfrogging those programs, as well as Ohio State, Penn State and even teams like Iowa, will be a tremendous undertaking for Wisconsin.
16. How likely do you think it is that Wisconsin reaches the College Football Playoff in the next five years?
Optimism might not be as high as it was last year when 67.9 percent of respondents said it was “likely” the Badgers would make the CFP in the next five years. But there is still plenty of enthusiasm about what’s possible for Wisconsin, especially with a 12-team field.
17. How likely do you think it is that Wisconsin will win a national championship in the next 10 years?
Once again, the difference between reaching the Playoff and actually winning a national title is considerable. Among voters, 90.3 percent say it is either “unlikely” or Wisconsin has “no chance” to win a national championship in the next decade. That’s up from 81.3 percent in those two categories last year.
18. What game do you view as most important for Wisconsin to win this season?
The votes were incredibly close, with first place going to the Iowa game (231 votes), second place going to the Minnesota game (219 votes) and third place going to the Penn State game (218 votes). No matter how much things change, the importance of being traditional rivals like Iowa and Minnesota has remained. Iowa has beaten Wisconsin in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2008-09. Penn State has won five straight games in the series, but the teams have played just once since 2018.
19. What will Wisconsin’s regular-season record be?
This gets at the heart of why enthusiasm, though generally high for the future, is tempered in the here and now. Nearly half of respondents said Wisconsin would finish with an 8-4 record, and 24.6 percent went with 7-5. It does feel as though the Badgers have a better overall team in Year 2 under Fickell, but the difficult schedule can’t be ignored. A year ago, 79.6 percent of the vote went for either 10-2 or 9-3. Only 1.1 percent of voters said last year that Wisconsin would finish 7-5 or worse, which is what ultimately transpired.
20. What is your biggest question for Wisconsin football entering this season?
The most common response to this open-ended question focused on quarterback play, as well as overall offensive production and line play on both sides of the ball. Van Dyke was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2021 but has battled injuries and been benched twice due to ineffective play during his college career. Here is a sampling of other responses:
• “Did we make a mistake by switching our offense to the Dairy Raid? I’m optimistic this year for the team but pessimistic about the Dairy Raid long term.”
• “What is this team and what do they want to be? Can this program be at the top of the second tier of the conference with some upside, which is how it was up until 2020?”
• “Can they get back to beating the schools they used to?”
• “With the new conference alignment, how will Wisconsin stay relevant in college football?”
And finally …
• “How much champagne to buy when we win the natty.”
(Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck / USA Today)