Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers lost their fifth straight game tonight. Taking on the Number 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, the Badgers were 17-0 down by the end of the first half. The Badgers also failed to score a point in the second game.
Wisconsin drops to 2-5 and 0-4 in Big Ten play. Ahead of a road clash against Oregon next weekend, Fickell may not even be the Badgers’ head coach. With fans not even being bothered to show up today, it seems inevitable that there will be a change.
How Much Would Wisconsin Owe Luke Fickell if They Fired Him?
In November 2022, the Badgers extended Fickell to a seven-year deal. This was an expensive mistake that could potentially cost them a significant amount of money. The head coach will have four years left on his contract at the end of 2025.
According to Fickell’s contract, he will be owed 80% of what’s remaining on the $31.5 million deal he signed back in 2022. This means that Wisconsin will owe approximately $25 million left on the seven-year contract. This figure is not subject to any change.
Wisconsin in the first half (last 5 games):
• 0 points vs. Alabama
• 0 points vs. Maryland
• 7 points vs. Michigan
• 0 points vs. Iowa
• 0 points vs. Ohio StateIt is UGLY for Luke Fickell 😳 pic.twitter.com/wZYW2kbAR2
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) October 18, 2025
However, luckily for Wisconsin, they structured the head coach’s contract perfectly. Not only will they not owe him 100% of the figure that he’s owed, but they will pay the buyout in monthly installments, making it much easier to pay over the course of the next few years.
This buyout would also potentially be minimized by his next coaching salary. The cost for the Badgers could lessen if they were to fire Fickell and he were to find work elsewhere at another program quickly. However, it’s unlikely this will have a significant impact.
Luke Fickell single-handedly killed the Wisconsin student section: 😳 pic.twitter.com/Mtxqpag7SH
— College Sports Only (@CSOonX) October 18, 2025
Why Is Luke Fickell’s Job Security Being Questioned?
Fickell’s offense continued to struggle after not scoring a single point today. The Badgers also did not manage a single point in last week’s 37-0 blowout to Iowa State. Wisconsin has also scored a massive total of just three points in its previous 27 drives.
According to PFSN’s CFB Offense Impact meter, the Wisconsin offense is one of the worst in the country. According to the metric, the Badgers average 1.30 points per drive. Wisconsin also ranks 65th overall this season, and 373rd since 2019 nationally.
Also Read: 5 Candidates to Replace Luke Fickell if Wisconsin Fires Head Coach After Ohio State Loss
One of the main reasons behind Wisconsin’s offensive struggles in recent years is the lack of consistency at quarterback. In his time with the Badgers, Fickell has yet to lock down a quarterback who looks capable of leading a successful offense.
After spending significant cash to lure Billy Edwards Jr. away from Maryland, the quarterback suffered a knee sprain in Wisconsin’s opener against Miami. He then suffered a setback before the game against Maryland, which meant he hasn’t been since.
With another tough matchup against Dan Lanning’s Oregon next week, it is unlikely that he will be the head coach at Wisconsin much longer. However, there has been no indication that the athletic director will take over the fans’ calls quite yet.
