The Wisconsin Badgers announced massive news on Sunday. Athletic Director Chris McIntosh is officially stepping down. The announcement leaves Wisconsin searching for their first AD since Barry Alvarez hand-selected McIntosh in 2021.
Here are the full details.
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Chris McIntosh Officially Leaves The Badgers For Different Position
According to Badgers beat writer Mark Knight:
Chris McIntosh drops massive news on a Sunday afternoon as he announces he is stepping down as the Wisconsin Athletic Director to pursue a new role for the Big Ten.
It’s a big change for the department. According to the latest reports, McIntosh is taking a role as the deputy commissioner for strategy at the Big Ten offices.
Wisconsin fans have been eager to see Chris McIntosh go since the football program has gone from bad to worse. He also had a poor showing with Marisa Moseley for the women’s basketball program.
However, it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t been successful in other sports outside of football. Wisconsin has seen women’s hockey get championship after championship, women’s volleyball run through deep tournament success, men’s hockey is back, and more.
State Of The Badgers Football Program Since McIntosh Took Over
In reality many D1 athletic directors are based off how the football program fairs. Since June 2021 (the month McIntosh was hired), the Badgers football team has taken a nose dive. Here are the numbers:
- 32-31 record
- 2-1 in bowl appearances
- back to back losing seasons in 2024 and 2025 (marked the first time in over 30 years the Badgers missed back to back bowl games)
- Luke Fickell hired as the head coach in 2022 which has turned out to be a disaster
This news, while unexpected, is music to many Badgers’ fans ears. It will be interesting who they take next and how much of a priority they place into the football program.
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