What Luke Fickell said about Wisconsin football at 2025 Big Ten Media Days

Luke Fickell addressed the Wisconsin football program's culture, leadership, and blueprint for 2025 at Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas.

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell speaks to the media during the Big Ten media days. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Expectations are shifting in Madison. Not just among the fans, but inside the walls of the Wisconsin football program itself.

Head coach Luke Fickell took the podium at Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas with a clear message: 2024 wasn’t the standard, but he believes in the blueprint that can get the Badgers back to where they belong. In an era of realignment, NIL-driven roster churn, and limited oversight, Fickell is doubling down on something most programs are running away from.

And in true Fickell fashion, he set the tone right away, spending the early part of his press conference thanking people, touching on tradition, running through bios of the players Wisconsin brought to represent the program, and wrapping with a final message about complementary football and chasing championships. That left time for just one question. A masterclass in filibuster, but also a window into what matters most to him.

"Wisconsin is and will continue to be a traditional football program," Fickell told reporters. “I know this is a transactional world, especially with this new revenue sharing. But it's really critical and important to me in all that we do, and the way that we continue to grow, that we focus upon the traditional things that have made the University of Wisconsin football program great, and we need to continue to build upon those things.

"And it starts with high school recruiting. We will still continue to be in our traditional mindset, but really, it comes down to trust and respect from within our program. It's about relationships. That's not going to change, even though we are entering into this transactional world. And it's really about development, the development of 18 to 22-year-olds."

It was a clear message: Fickell isn’t completely bending to the chaos of the modern college football landscape. He’s not trying to outbid programs or constantly rebuild. He knows what last season looked like. He’s heard the criticism. But he’s betting on the long-term view, on development, identity, and the core values that once made Wisconsin a contender. And he still believes those same values can get the Badgers back there.

Those words carry more weight now than they might have a year ago. In Fickell's first two seasons at Wisconsin, he has faced more than his fair share of turbulence. After a 5-7 finish in 2024, the program's first losing season since 2001, he enters Year 3 with a 12-13 overall record and zero wins over ranked opponents. That’s not what the Badgers signed up for, and the outside expectations certainly reflect that. UW was projected to finish 12th in the Cleveland.com Big Ten preseason media poll.

He’s not blind to that reality.

"Last year was not the standard, and it's pretty obvious to be able to say," Fickell admitted. “And really, we're talking about the way that we finished last year. That's not the standard. That's not the expectation. I was not brought here thinking that's in any way what we expect at the University of Wisconsin. But I'm not here to dwell upon last year either.”

So, instead of ducking that reality, he embraced it as a starting point.

"What last year does do is it gives us an opportunity to self-reflect. It gives us an opportunity to recognize things that we need to continue to change."

That reflection led to action.

Phil Longo is out as offensive coordinator. Jeff Grimes is in. Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. transfers in from Maryland to take over the starting job. The entire defensive front has been rebuilt through the portal. Fickell said these changes weren’t just about scheme, but more so about getting back to the philosophy that made Wisconsin great for the past three decades.

"We had to get back to what has and what will continue to make Wisconsin an unbelievable place and an incredible football power, and give us a chance to play for championships," Fickell said. "And a lot of people would say, what is that? Running the football? That's a part of things, but what it really comes down to is our ability to get back to what I would say is complementary football."

He then expanded on what that means for this program.

"We talk about complementary football for our team and our program. It's something at the core of what it is that we have to be able to do," Fickell said. "It's something that, as a program, has to be something that we live. We will continue to define what complementary football looks like to us at Wisconsin. It's more than three phases. It's four phases. It's offense, defense, special teams, and a culture of the way in which we do things."

That word, 'culture,' was never far from anything Fickell said. He emphasized the strength of the Wisconsin Badgers leadership group, a 14-player core he says will help drive the program forward.

"That's where the strength of our program lies and what's going to continue to move us forward," Fickell said. "I don't know that it's just in the three guys that are here [at Media Days], but it's in this group of 14 guys. That is the strength of our program and where our leadership is."

Fickell said it’s not just about captains or vocal leaders anymore. He’s building a deeper foundation of accountability, built around a leadership council that’s taken ownership of how the football team operates. And that shift matters.

A source who transferred out of the program shared that from his point of view, the 2024 team lacked true leadership, that the real issue was buy-in, and not enough players truly understood what it meant to be a Badger.

Of course, even strong leadership and cultural buy-in won’t mean much without wins. And Fickell knows that. The Badgers enter 2025 facing what many believe is the toughest schedule in the country. Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon. There are no breaks. No weeks off. And no excuses.

“Guess what you signed up for,” Fickell said. “This isn’t the Big Ten West anymore. I can honestly say that with that schedule, it has brought upon a lot of the changes that we’ve had. The great thing about that schedule is that it's pretty easy to lay it down right in front of everybody. Everybody knows what they signed up for, and everybody knows what they stuck around for. The beautiful thing is that we’ve been able to embrace that.”

It’s that bluntness, that refusal to sugarcoat reality, that has defined Fickell’s messaging this offseason. And frankly, it’s necessary. Because Wisconsin isn’t just trying to fix its run game or cut down on penalties. It’s trying to reestablish what it truly means to be a Badger.

The truth is, there’s no quick fix for the schedule that lies ahead. But from a roster construction standpoint, this team makes a lot more sense. The pieces fit better. The new offensive coordinator appears to be better aligned with the head coach's vision and the roster's strengths. There’s a world where the on-field product looks markedly improved, even if the wins don’t immediately follow. But Fickell isn’t looking for shortcuts. What he’s preaching to his team is toughness, togetherness, and identity.

"We understand what being a part of the Big Ten, what being a part of this conference means," said Fickell. "In order to be at the top and to be the best, you've got to compete and you've got to beat the best. So it gives us a challenge, but an unbelievable opportunity is in front of us as well."

The good news? Fickell seems ready to embrace that reality instead of trying to run from it. Since Chris McIntosh chose to move on from Paul Chryst, the Badgers haven’t quite found their footing. The culture has been under construction. The results have been inconsistent and underwhelming to the fan base. But heading into 2025, there are signs, however faint, that Wisconsin finally knows what kind of team it wants to be.

That might not guarantee results. But it’s a start.

And it’s the only way forward. Because here’s the truth: if Wisconsin doesn’t show signs of meaningful progress this fall, not just culturally, but between the lines, then 2026 has a very real chance of opening with Coach Fickell on the hot seat. That’s not opinion, that’s the reality of modern college football. And if things don’t turn around, the Badgers could be staring down a complete reset: gutting the roster, re-recruiting their own locker room, and restarting that internal clock all over again.

That’s how programs fall further behind.

On the other hand, if the changes materialize, and this version of Wisconsin football resembles the one Fickell was hired to build, then 2025 can become a springboard toward something meaningful. And suddenly, that more manageable 2026 schedule doesn’t feel like a lifeline. It starts to feel like an opportunity to get the program back on track.

Fall camp opens July 29 at UW-Platteville. Let’s see where this goes.

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