Photos: The debut of The Varsity Collective
Check out the scene of The Varsity Collective's press conference on Sept. 8, 2022, which included former University of Wisconsin standout athletes and current coaches.
Wisconsin coaches Greg Gard, from left, Paul Chryst, Marisa Moseley and Tony Granato talk after The Varsity Collective news conference Thursday inside the Hilton Garden Inn in Madison.
University of Wisconsin donor Ted Kellner, left, speaks with volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield after The Varsity Collective news conference Thursday inside the Hilton Garden Inn in Madison.
Wisconsin basketball coaches Marisa Moseley and Greg Gard chat after The Varsity Collective news conference Thursday inside the Hilton Garden Inn in Madison.
University of Wisconsin coaches Marisa Moseley, left, Greg Gard, middle, Mark Johnson, second from right, and Paul Chryst, right, pose with Rob Master, second from left, executive chair of The Varsity Collective, for photos inside the Hilton Garden Inn in Madison Thursday.
Former University of Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Thomas, from left, Smita Reddy, former Badgers soccer player Lauren Cochlin, Ted Kellner, UW volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield and then-UW men's hockey coach Tony Granato pose for a photo after The Varsity Collective's news conference Sept. 8, 2022, in Madison.Â
Ted Kellner, UW donor and leadership team member of The Varsity Collective, lays out the group's mission during a news conference Sept. 8, 2022, in Madison.
Former University of Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Thomas speaks during The Varsity Collective news conference Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Madison.
Ted Kellner, University of Wisconsin donor and leadership team member of The Varsity Collective, speaks during a news conference Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Madison.
Former Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Thomas discusses why he wants to help current Badgers athletes take advantage of NIL and find mentors during The Varsity Collective news conference on Sept. 8, 2022.Â
Lauren Cochlin, former University of Wisconsin soccer player and member of the Varsity Collective, speaks during a news conference Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Madison.
Wisconsin coaches Greg Gard, from left, Paul Chryst, Marisa Moseley and Tony Granato talk after The Varsity Collective news conference Thursday inside the Hilton Garden Inn in Madison.
University of Wisconsin coaches Marisa Moseley, left, Greg Gard, middle, Mark Johnson, second from right, and Paul Chryst, right, pose with Rob Master, second from left, executive chair of The Varsity Collective, for photos inside the Hilton Garden Inn in Madison Thursday.
Ted Kellner, University of Wisconsin donor and leadership team member of The Varsity Collective, speaks during a news conference Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Madison.
University of Wisconsin donor Ted Kellner, left, speaks with volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield after The Varsity Collective news conference Thursday inside the Hilton Garden Inn in Madison.
Lauren Cochlin, former University of Wisconsin soccer player and member of the Varsity Collective, speaks during a news conference Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Madison.
BadgerExtra is counting down the top 10 biggest Badgers sports stories during the 2022-23 academic year. At No. 10 is The Varsity Collective.
The collective to pool NIL money for Badgers players launched its first sport-specific activity before the start of the football season.
The Wisconsin athletic department is recruiting donors for its most expensive capital project, and it already has secured commitments totaling $47 million.
The top 10 contributors to the collective working with Badgers athletes combined for 73% of all gifts in the 2022-23 fiscal year.
The outcome surely wasn't what Badgers fans were hoping for, but that doesn't mean Wisconsin's loss to Washington State didn't come without some valuable lessons.Â
