Luke Fickell was a big-time hire when he was brought aboard by the Wisconsin Badgers.
The seat is hotter now, though, as the Badgers prepare for the 2026 college football season, which begins for them on Sunday, Sept. 6 against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Wisconsin had hired Fickell away from the Cincinnati Bearcats as one of the hottest hires in the sport.
Wisconsin gave Fickell what at the time made sense as a large contract: When he signed in November 2022, it was for seven years and $7.8 million per year (about $55 million in total value).
Fickell was then given a one-year extension in January 2024, so his deal now runs through March 31, 2031, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Things haven’t gone perfectly for Fickell in Madison, though. There’s a decent chance he doesn’t make it the length of the deal.
Wisconsin is a proud program and will want to see good things during the 2026 season to retain confidence in Fickell.
Luke Fickell buyout terms
Fickell’s buyout would cost $21.3 million if Wisconsin chose to terminate his contract during the 2026 season, according to Fox Sports.
Once this season is over, the buyout total drops to 19.2 million.
Fickell’s buyout in 2024 was $40,186,667 co, per USA Today data. At the time, that ranked as the 13th-largest buyout total in Division I.
A buyout amount goes down each year further into the deal that a coach stays, so it’s a bit of a moving target.
As a reference point, when Wisconsin parted ways with Paul Chryst in Oct. 2022, the reported buyout paid was $11 million, which was negotiated down from the $20 million that his contract called for.
Luke Fickell contract bonuses
Luke Fickell can earn a lot of money from contract bonsues.
According to local TV station WKOW:
- Big Ten Championship Game win: $350,000
- CFP qualification: $200,000
- CFP Semifinal appearance: $400,000
- National title: $500,000
Of course, those all seem a bit of a long way away for the Badgers right now.
Fickell coached Wisconsin to a bowl game win at the end of the 2022 season, and he’s spent three full seasons since then. There record has gotten worse each season: 7-6, 5-7, then 4-8.
If 2026 follows that trend line, the buyout number might come into focus in a hurry.
Fickell made his mark with six seasons in charge of Cincinnati from 2017 through 2022.
The Bearcats were 4-8 in his first season, but they upped that immediately to 11-2. Then they went 11-3 in 2019 and 9-1 in 2020.
In 2021, Cincinnati put together an undefeated 13-0 regular season to make the College Football Playoff before losing in the Cotton Bowl.
Fickell had a 9-3 record in his final Bearcats season before departing for the Badgers.
Now, he’s fighting to ensure he gets to stay longer in Wisconsin.
Luke Fickell Buyout Details: What Wisconsin Coach Would Cost To Fire