WiscTJK
Well-known member
The wonderful world of NIL and cutting people. Unfortunately for the players and because of the players, it's now a business.
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Wisconsin Badgers 2026 Offseason
- Thread starter srkbadger
- Start date
He is a Wisconsin guy, played football at UW Whitewater and has experience at major SEC schools as Deputy AD. I'd be shocked if they ever hired someone that wasnt connected to football in some way.
That being said, his hiring of Reilly at Nebraska was considered a strong hire at the time. I dont think Reilly even knew the utter lack of talent that was in the cupboard.
Im just glad they had SOME hockey rep on the search committee, Wsh it would have been Pavs or someone from the 06 or 90 Championship teams.
New AD will be stepping into a new football facility at Kellner, so it is probably easier now than just 5 yrs ago.
My issue with football is the continual obsession on fan experience and creature comforts that jack up prices without realizing the best fan experience is the effing play on the field. The last endzone renovation for premium seating was wholly unecessary. Most every SEC stadium is a dump, but the fans pack in bc the product on the field is better.
If Fick doesnt won 8 or 9 games this year, he is gone.
I'll stick to hockey.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
The new AD is stale bread. They should have hired the guy running the Dallas Stars. He understands the business end of the donkey and his minions could have guided him along with the run of the mill AD things that go on. This is all about business now. They made a safe hire, not an inspired hire.
Whether or Football has turned the corner will be for us to witness live. All this resource talk is meaningless. They have to 1) be competitive in every game and 2) win most of the games. Anything less, can him and get someone who understands how WI needs to play and the players needed to play that way.
UW student and hockey fan
Active member
Don't disagree at all, but I do kind of feel like Hockey can be successful if just left alone for the most part. I won't pretend to know all the exact funding, revenue, and financial details, but idk if the team will need huge additional financial support from the AD. Hastings seems to be doing well with current resources.
Granted, maybe there's a chance he'd see hockey revenue as some easy cash for the football/basketball teams, and then we would have a problem.
I agree. But if they want hockey to be a revenue generator (it's basically net zero rt now), scheduling will be key. Conf games in October and Nov kill ticket sales and crappy non conf opponents do the same.
If I were Asst AD for a day, Id want strong non conf games vs old WCHA teams, not just the blue bloods, during home weekend football games or basketball games on Sat/Sun in Oct/Nov. The fans are already there.
I cant imagine they don't have metrics on ticket scans based on what else was going on. Then again with attendance dipping noticeably at Camp Randall ever since covid, Im sure new ADs prime directive is to fill Camp Randall. Sigh...
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
It's horrific that the rodent game is considered marque. That should be a mop the floor with their carcass every year game.
solovsfett
Registered User
Mark Johnson evidently had this to say about the new AD, Shawn Eichorst:
“He's our new shepherd. Our sheep are scattered and now we've got a shepherd who's going to bring them together...It's a breath of fresh air.”
Man…sounds like Mac was just as bad as Barry when it came to taking care of sports not named football or basketball. Very interesting comment from MJ.
If Eichorst wants to make a really great first impression, give both hockey coaches bumps to $1,000,000 in salary and announce a set of statues to honor both Bob and Mark Johnson.
“He's our new shepherd. Our sheep are scattered and now we've got a shepherd who's going to bring them together...It's a breath of fresh air.”
Man…sounds like Mac was just as bad as Barry when it came to taking care of sports not named football or basketball. Very interesting comment from MJ.
If Eichorst wants to make a really great first impression, give both hockey coaches bumps to $1,000,000 in salary and announce a set of statues to honor both Bob and Mark Johnson.
Do you have a source for that quote? If he did say that, it's pretty telling. Esp considering how much the hire was poo-pooed by everyone. There are a lot of football people that are demanding 10 and 11 win seasons, and all they see is new AD's record at Nebraska. Which I get.
But that's an indictment of a quote from someone who knows they are untouchable. IMHO, I think Mac only cared about the money coming in and capital campaigns (i.e. Kellner Ctr). The actual record on the field/ice meant nothing to him. And I think if TG would have had a 20 win season his last yr but not made the NCAAs, he would still be the coach.
solovsfett
Registered User
Yes. Mike Lucas posted MJ’s quote on Twitter a few days ago.
Agree with everything you said above.
You can see the entire article on captimes.com
Great article by Lucas. Was never a fan of his on radio or in the booth, but he is a great writer. He certainly stressed the hockey side of things in that article. We can only hope. Odd that he made no mention of the Badger nat'l championship run or Hastings though. But I also get it. Johnson is royalty.
BadgerInMN
Member
Not saying I'm a fan of the AD hire, but people not liking it because of his football results at Nebraska doesn't make much sense to me.
Basically, the massive changes in the college football landscape hit Nebraska faster than a lot of other programs. By the time they joined the Big Ten, there weren't any reasons why the Huskers should expect to be a football power (other than nostalgia).
Via an acquisition, I ended up having to take multiple work trips to Lincoln around the time they hired Scott Frost. Those people were over the damn moon excited about Frost and how he was the one to make Husker football "what it is supposed to be." I rolled my eyes. I was right.
I care about football. Was even a season ticket holder from '17 thru '23 while making the trip down from the Twin Cities for almost every game. I would like them to do well again, but I also don't think it's all that likely.
In a wild west, anything goes environment where you have to spend big bucks...I think some of our wealthiest alums aren't dumb enough to throw money at NIL for unknown returns.
As more of a regular fan, I liked donating to the department...but I'm never sending a cent to a NIL fund.
And even if you do buy a decent roster, you still need a coach and staff that can make it come together. Fickell isn't it.
They can be successful if left alone, but the problem under Alvarez/Mac was that they were ignored, and it showed. Hockey is by FAR the most successful sport at WI and it demands respect from the administration and AD for investment of resources and attention to drive public perception/attendance and it's place in the Badger pantheon.
To be blunt, football and basketball can pay the bills for all I care with 8-10 win seasons, a New Yrs Day bowl game, and a trip to the 2nd round of the NCAA basketball tournament every year for all I care. They will never sniff a national championship in the NIL era. But the AD should realize that and steer resources to the programs like hockey that can pack Kohl Center and be a consistent revenue generator for the university.
Echoes similar to what I just posted. In this era, there is no way UW football will compete for a nat'l champ, much less the playoffs. Alumni/boosters have no interest in pushing money to NIL, they'd rather have their name on a building. Consider the relatively easy schedule they have this year...unless they beat ND, USC, Iowa and the goofs, they aren't sniffing the playoffs, even with 10 wins.
Even pre NIL, Badgers football, is on average a top 15-20 ranked team (that doesn't make the playoffs even in the current format). I too donated to the Dept but only specifically to hockey, and will consider it again with them being on a great track.