Overview

• Wisconsin fell 38-14 at Alabama on Sept. 13, dropping Luke Fickell to 15-14 with the Badgers and intensifying scrutiny of his tenure.
• Contract documents reviewed this week indicate he would be owed nearly $28.8 million if fired without cause on Sept. 14, declining to about $27.5 million on Dec. 1.
• The buyout would be paid monthly over the remaining term, with a duty for Fickell to seek comparable employment and dollar-for-dollar offsets for NFL or NCAA Division I jobs.
• University-provided records show the contract runs through March 31, 2031, while a later-announced extension into 2032 has not been released as an executed agreement.
• Public databases have listed higher figures — USA TODAY cited about $40.19 million as of Dec. 1, 2024 — and no administrative decision on Fickell’s job status has been announced.