Barry Alvarez wants the Wisconsin football program 'back where it belongs'
Barry Alvarez isn’t happy with the state of the Wisconsin football program, calling for the Badgers to bounce back and return to relevance.
With spring practice around the corner, Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin football program find themselves at a crossroads.
The 2024 season was nothing short of a disaster—one that saw the Badgers stumble to a 5-7 finish and suffer their first losing season since 2001, all while watching a 22-year bowl streak vanish in front of them.
If that wasn’t enough, they were outscored 110-42 in rivalry games, losing all three of their traveling trophies for the first time.
That’s not just a minor setback or a down year—it’s a complete unraveling of the identity this program spent decades building. And few people understand that better than legendary Badgers head coach Barry Alvarez.
“This spring practice is important because after having a losing season, there has to be a pride in this team that they wanna come back and bounce back and be relevant again," Alvarez said on ESPN Milwaukee.
Alvarez, the architect of modern Wisconsin football, doesn’t mince words. He knows firsthand how hard it was to build this program into a consistent winner—and just how quickly it can all slip away if things don't change.
“We worked our fannies off to start winning, win championships, and be good and go to bowl games every year,” Alvarez explained. “Dammit, we did it better than everybody for 20 years after not going for like a million years. Now these guys have to fight their ass off to get back into that group. I hope they understand that they’ve got a responsibility."
Make no mistake: Alvarez isn’t happy with the current state of the program—nor should he be. Wisconsin’s fall from national relevance has been swift, and his comments reflect the mounting frustration shared within the fanbase.
This isn’t just about one lousy season. It’s about a program that, under Alvarez’s successor Chris McIntosh, made a bold decision to hire Luke Fickell over Jim Leonhard. At the time, there was no debate—Fickell was the right choice, expected to elevate Wisconsin.
Instead, the program has gone in the opposite direction.
"I don’t like where we are right now. They need to bounce back and get the program back where it belongs," Alvarez said.
That responsibility falls on Fickell, who enters Year 3 with his back against the wall after a 12-13 start to his Wisconsin tenure. The Badgers made a significant change this offseason, replacing offensive coordinator Phil Longo — who was fired during the season — with Jeff Grimes, in a move meant to re-establish physicality and bring balance in the offense.
“He’s got a run-game background, and he has an O-line background,” said Alvarez. “Those historically have been the strength of our program. We’ve won here, and we’ve put ourselves on the map in college football because of our run game led by our offensive line.
"When I heard that, I was really excited. That doesn’t mean he has to run every snap, but a lot of the snaps he has to run. I’m really excited about him. I don’t know him personally. I read the résumé, I like the numbers he has put up.”
Defensive coordinator Mike Tressel also has plenty to prove after a season filled with inconsistency on that side of the ball. According to Game on Paper, Tressel’s defense finished 76th nationally in EPA per play, 45th in EPA per dropback, and 89th in EPA per rush. The Badgers also ranked 47th in scoring defense and 41st in total defense—far from the Wisconsin standard.
But scheme changes alone won’t fix everything. The issues run much deeper.
For all the talk about NIL and roster turnover, Alvarez’s message cuts to the core of the problem: Wisconsin has lost its edge. The physicality, the discipline, the pride in wearing the motion “W”—all of it has faded. That has to change. After an offseason filled with staff shakeups and transfer additions, fans aren’t just hoping for progress in 2025—they expect it.
“I told the players, those that stay will be a champion,” Fickell said after the loss to Minnesota. “You’ve got to have people that believe in you. I know it’s hard, having faith in things you can’t see. And right now, I’m sure they can’t see it. And that’s the tough part. They’ve got to believe.
“I don’t worry as much about them [the fans] as I worry about those guys in that locker room. Our job is to get them to believe, is to put the product on the field. Right now, we don’t have that opportunity, and we haven’t done it. So, I would understand if they are worried. It’s their prerogative. Our job is to prove it, and we haven’t done that. But we will.”
Spring practice isn’t just about installing new concepts or evaluating the myriad of incoming talent; it’s about finding an identity. It’s about setting a standard and demanding accountability at every turn. Because if the Badgers don’t turn things around soon, missing a bowl game will be the least of their concerns. The next step in their decline could mean hitting reset once again—this time in search of a head coach and possibly even a new athletic director who can lead them to relevance.
Fickell has made his promise: Wisconsin will bounce back. Now, it’s time to prove it.
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