The Wisconsin Badgers are climbing an uphill battle.
Head coach Luke Fickell is facing considerable pressure this season and the team was projected to finish 12th in the Big Ten Monday, per Cleveland.com’s Big Ten preseason poll. Plus, the program is involved in multiple lawsuits that left a hole at the cornerback position.
As the business of college sports grows, it’s natural to wonder what these programs would look like in the open market. The Athletic examined this idea and released projected valuations for every Power 4 school in college football and theorized each program’s monetary value.
The price tag on the Badgers? $801 million.
Wisconsin’s valuation and $100.1 million average football revenue ranked 19th overall among 68 Power 4 programs and eighth in the Big Ten.
“The Badgers are the final $100 million-a-year program on our list. The program has stalled (32-26 over the last five seasons) and lacks the tradition of Nebraska or the upside of Washington and Florida State,” Matt Baker wrote. “But even though the floor looks lower than it did a decade ago, it’s high enough for Wisconsin — the only program above Division III in the 20th most popular state — to belong in our top 20 with a big gap to the next tier.”
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Conference opponents Washington and Nebraska were ranked just above Wisconsin, at 16th and 17th, respectively. Washington’s $107.8 million average football revenue and $970 million valuation ranked sixth in the Big Ten, while Nebraska’s $116.3 million average football revenue and $930 million valuation ranked seventh.
Fellow Big Ten programs Iowa and Michigan State were valued just below Wisconsin. Iowa was ranked 20th overall and ninth in the conference, with a $709 million valuation and $88.6 million average football revenue. The Spartans were valued at $708 million, with an $88.5 million average football revenue, for a No. 21 overall and No. 10 conference rating.
Despite the Badgers’ recent struggles, Baker’s valuation of the program is indicative of the potential in Madison.