Top Story Spotlight Polzin: Can Luke Fickell be both the Don Morton and Barry Alvarez of Wisconsin football? JIM POLZIN Nov 6, 2025 Nov 6, 2025 Updated Nov 21, 2025 × Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The University of Wisconsin football program is going to need a superhero to come in and save the day with the way things are headed.kAmr9C:D |4x?E@D9 :D 4@F?E:?8 @? {F<6 u:4<6== 36:?8 E92E >2?] %96 (:D4@?D:? 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@C :D?’E D6?5:?8 FA 2 D:8?2= 7@C 96=A 3642FD6 96 36=:6G6D q2E>2? :D 2=C625J @? 42>AFD]k^AmkAm%92E’D 8@:?8 E@ D@F?5 4C2KJ E@ >@DE A6@A=6 H9@ 92G6 H2E4965 u:4<6== 8@ `d\`h @G6C2== 2?5 g\`d :? q:8 %6? A=2J D:?46 2CC:G:?8 2E (:D4@?D:?] %96 564:D:@? E@ 3C:?8 324< u:4<6== 7@C 2 7@FCE9 D62D@? 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Now this Dane County town is hoping to stop another Lake Geneva Tourism Commission pauses grant program for two months Traver School starts off the school year with new principal UW-Eau Claire joins UW system’s Direct Admit program This Dane County town bet against sprawl. Fifty years later, it's still paying off St. Francis de Sales School completes expansion project Geneva Lake Arts Foundation announces Art in the Park winners Maxwell Street Days in downtown Lake Geneva, plus car show & beer on a train Last week's prep sports results for Lake Geneva-area schools kA 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\=:?<Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^32586C6IEC2]4@>^E?4>D^2DD6E^65:E@C:2=^4c_ef2gh\abha\cf5g\32hd\7c_b645hfgfcQm{F<6 u:4<6== H:== 36 (:D4@?D:? 7@@E32== 4@249 :? a_ae] q2586CD ps |4x?E@D9 6IA=2:?D H9Jk^2mk^AmkAm%9:D AC@8C2> 92D 8@?6 324<H2C5 5FC:?8 u:4<6==’D E6?FC6 2?5 :D 2E :ED =@H6DE A@:?E :? bd J62CD] ~C be[ 56A6?5:?8 @? H96C6 J@F H2?E E@ 5C2H E96 =:?6 H96C6 DF776C:?8 EFC?65 E@ D2?8F:?:EJ]k^AmkAmr2? 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E@ 6I64FE6 @? :E :?E@ E96 7FEFC6]”k^Am kAmx7 |4x?E@D9 :D C:89E 23@FE 2== @7 E9:D 2?5 u:4<6== :D 23=6 E@ EFC? 2C@F?5 E9:?8D[ 96 H:== 36 @H65 2? 2A@=@8J 3J 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6] $2G6 C@@> 2E E96 7C@?E @7 E96 =:?6 7@C 2 46CE2:? >@FE9J 4@=F>?:DE]k^AmkAmqFE :E’D 92C5 E@ 6?G:D:@? E92E D46?2C:@] u:4<6== 92D?’E C624965 |@CE@? 56AE9D[ 2E =62DE J6E] qFE E96C6’D 366? K6C@ 6G:56?46 96 42? AF== @77 2? p=G2C6K[ 6:E96C]k^Am Contact Jim Polzin at jpolzin@madison.com. Locations Madison Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story Wisconsin football coach Luke Fickell on coaches' buyouts across college football Luke Fickell will be Wisconsin football coach in 2026. Badgers AD McIntosh explains why Badgers athletic director Chris McIntosh explains why he still believes in Luke Fickell, what changes will be made to improve the football pro… Wisconsin football senior 'proud' of brother, the projected No. 1 pick in 2026 NBA Draft A Badgers linebacker is rooting on his brother — star Kansas guard Darryn Peterson — from afar. Here's what Darryl Peterson III said has impre… Will Wisconsin's QB merry-go-round stop with Carter Smith? Badgers coach Luke Fickell didn't name a starting quarterback this week and that was the most normal part of the continuing strangeness surrou… Polzin: Why this major donor scoffs at talk of change in Wisconsin athletics leadership Ted Kellner could snap his fingers and initiate major changes for the Badgers. He instead is adamant that he supports Chris McIntosh and Luke Fickell. Polzin: Why it's no longer prudent to preach patience with Luke Fickell Giving the Wisconsin football coach time to build seemed like a reasonable take when the season began. But the program's continued regression … A look at the buyouts involved in the last 5 Wisconsin football coaching changes Here are the financial details of changes in Badgers football leadership since Don Morton was fired in 1989. What is Luke Fickell's buyout at Wisconsin? Inside the details of the coach's buyout clause A look into what Wisconsin would owe Luke Fickell if it fires its embattled football coach, how payments are set to be structured and more fro… Rewind: Wisconsin pulls off upset of No. 24 Washington 13-10 Everything you need to know to prepare yourself for the Badgers' Game 9 matchup vs. Washington. Polzin: Why this former Wisconsin quarterback can relate to Carter Smith's growing pains A true freshman hasn't started at quarterback for the Badgers since 1991. That player, Jay Macias, is hoping that streak ends soon. Why a Wisconsin police department says no to some football team vehicle escort requests Football teams get police escorts around Madison on game days. When they want more than that, one department says no.
Luke Fickell will be Wisconsin football coach in 2026. Badgers AD McIntosh explains why Badgers athletic director Chris McIntosh explains why he still believes in Luke Fickell, what changes will be made to improve the football pro…
Wisconsin football senior 'proud' of brother, the projected No. 1 pick in 2026 NBA Draft A Badgers linebacker is rooting on his brother — star Kansas guard Darryn Peterson — from afar. Here's what Darryl Peterson III said has impre…
Will Wisconsin's QB merry-go-round stop with Carter Smith? Badgers coach Luke Fickell didn't name a starting quarterback this week and that was the most normal part of the continuing strangeness surrou…
Polzin: Why this major donor scoffs at talk of change in Wisconsin athletics leadership Ted Kellner could snap his fingers and initiate major changes for the Badgers. He instead is adamant that he supports Chris McIntosh and Luke Fickell.
Polzin: Why it's no longer prudent to preach patience with Luke Fickell Giving the Wisconsin football coach time to build seemed like a reasonable take when the season began. But the program's continued regression …
A look at the buyouts involved in the last 5 Wisconsin football coaching changes Here are the financial details of changes in Badgers football leadership since Don Morton was fired in 1989.
What is Luke Fickell's buyout at Wisconsin? Inside the details of the coach's buyout clause A look into what Wisconsin would owe Luke Fickell if it fires its embattled football coach, how payments are set to be structured and more fro…
Rewind: Wisconsin pulls off upset of No. 24 Washington 13-10 Everything you need to know to prepare yourself for the Badgers' Game 9 matchup vs. Washington.
Polzin: Why this former Wisconsin quarterback can relate to Carter Smith's growing pains A true freshman hasn't started at quarterback for the Badgers since 1991. That player, Jay Macias, is hoping that streak ends soon.
Why a Wisconsin police department says no to some football team vehicle escort requests Football teams get police escorts around Madison on game days. When they want more than that, one department says no.
