Inside a shift of philosophy in Wisconsin football as college football evolves
Badger Observer spoke with Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell about the quicker timeline for development and contributions from its younger players.
MADISON, Wis. — The changing landscape of college football has prompted adaptation for Luke Fickell in one particular way since he took over as University of Wisconsin football coach.
And it’s showing on the field in a big way this season.
It’s been nearly 3 years since Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh formally announced the hire of Fickell on Nov. 27, 2022. When asked about his perspective on the transfer portal during his introductory news conference, as seen on Wisconsin’s YouTube channel, Fickell responded by saying he didn’t want “to be a transfer team” and was rather a “high school recruiting guy that says it’s about development of young men.”
Wisconsin had been known as a program that can land the highly-touted recruit who can immediately contribute, but it thrived when developing talent over a period of time to play above its star rankings. But Fickell thinks “there’s definitely a little bit of a shift” in philosophy over the last 3 years, a period of time that honestly feels like a new world to navigate.
Since he’s been in Madison, there’s been the growing presence of said transfer portal – and the numbers show Wisconsin has utilized it to address key needs – along with name, image, likeness (NIL).
The advent of revenue sharing to players was finally finalized and approved due to the House settlement, and that settlement also prompted the NCAA to restrict FBS roster limits to 105 players. Conferences themselves have undergone drastic reshaping, as the Big Ten added Oregon, Southern Cal, UCLA and Washington to its ranks and also dissolved its West and East divisions.
Fickell still believes football is “a developmental sport,” but now there’s an expectation for high school recruits to contribute earlier than before. He thinks this isn’t just the case at Wisconsin but other major programs as well.