What stood out from Wisconsin athletic director Shawn Eichorst's first news conference
NIL, Luke Fickell, Greg Gard and similarities between Texas and Wisconsin all discussed Tuesday.
MADISON, Wis. — Shawn Eichorst channeled William Shakespeare, whether he meant to or not, during his first news conference as University of Wisconsin athletic director.
UW-Madison interim chancellor Eric Wilcots formally introduced Eichorst on Tuesday, first during a welcoming event inside the Champions Club on the south end of Camp Randall Stadium. Then came the chat with reporters floors below inside the Bornstein Media Center.
Eichorst returns to Madison, where he worked from 2006-11, after stints as athletic director at Miami and most notably Nebraska. He’s been at Texas since 2018 that’s included roles as deputy athletic director and chief operating officer.
It has been over 15 years since he last worked in Madison, and his words on how Wisconsin can flourish echoed a well-known line from “Hamlet.”
To thine own self be true.
“Wisconsin can thrive being who they are,” Eichorst said. “We have a unique and distinct identity in the way in which we go about things from a higher education perspective. The ‘Wisconsin Idea’ is important to all of us, and so those are the things that are distinguishable and the things that will make us special.
“And so I think you have to pay homage to your histories and your traditions, and all the things that have made you unique and special. And you’ve got to thread the needle and be balanced in how you be innovative and creative but still be distinctly who you are. We have to be who we are. We spend too much time, I think, on occasion worrying about what everybody else is doing. I always thought Wisconsin forward, right? We’re leaders, and I want to be a leader. I want to work with Dr. Wilcots. I not only want us to be iconic inside, but I want us to be leaders for all these other institutions to follow in some regards.”
Badger Observer was in attendance for Eichorst’s news conference Tuesday. Be sure to watch the full video of the news conference as seen below, but here are some other takeaways from his chat.
The similarities between Wisconsin and Texas
It’s a point that Eichorst mentioned previously since being hired as Wisconsin athletic director, and he elaborated further Tuesday. He first stated the size and scale of both. They’re also Research 1 institutions.
“Our enrollments are about the same,” Eichrost continued. “The in-state, out-of-state is a little bit different. Texas is more in-state, given how they do things. The research enterprise, the overall budgets, the way in which they’re tied to their states and legislatures.
“Just the way they go about it. Excellence, right? What starts at Texas changes the world, right? Wisconsin idea, right? Those are big and bold things, because they serve their communities.”
Another similarity that maybe wouldn’t be apparent between the two, at least in Eichorst’s eyes: Swag?
