{"id":224020,"date":"2025-10-19T01:22:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T01:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/224020\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T01:22:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T01:22:07","slug":"luke-fickell-denies-allegations-of-wisconsin-not-letting-nfl-scouts-watch-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/224020\/","title":{"rendered":"Luke Fickell denies allegations of Wisconsin not letting NFL scouts watch practices"},"content":{"rendered":"

Luke Fickell is steering clear of his own Bill Belichick-style controversy<\/a> with the Wisconsin Badgers.<\/p>\n

Before the game against Ohio State, NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler from The Athletic posted on X (formely Twitter) a report about NFL scouts not being allowed to come to Wisconsin practices.<\/p>\n

He claimed that has brought more scouts to Badgers games, because of their lack of access to practice.<\/p>\n

Fickell has been shutting NFL scouts out of practice so games are the only chance for teams to get eyes on Wisconsin players in person. https:\/\/t.co\/BlKgL3vw2S<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Eight different NFL teams had scouts present for the Badgers 34-0 loss to the Buckeyes.<\/p>\n

After the game, Fickell was asked about the report and denied it thoroughly.<\/p>\n

“No, we have NFL scouts there almost every single day,” he said. “Maybe they can’t watch the whole practice on a Wednesday, but my goodness, we don’t even have much of a restriction.”<\/p>\n

Luke Fickell denied this report: https:\/\/t.co\/7skVzmLHqL<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/dSYrnYvk7Z<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 John Steppe (@JSteppe1) October 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The head coach said the team had one particular week where he didn’t want a whole slew of scouts at practice on a particular Wednesday, but that was the only limitation he’s had on scouts at practice.<\/p>\n

He even mentioned Belichick by name in trying to downplay the controversy.<\/p>\n

“We’ve got other things to worry about,” Fickell said. “I don’t want to get into some Bill Belichick type of scouting situation.”<\/p>\n

Related: ‘Fire Fickell’ chants return to Camp Randall on Badgers’ first drive vs Ohio State<\/a><\/p>\n

The reference is to North Carolina’s head coach not allowing New England Patriots scouts into the facility over hard feelings from Belichick’s former team.<\/p>\n

Scouts had been present during Wisconsin’s fall and spring practices, so the report from Brugler came as a surprise to the beat reporters covering the Badgers.<\/p>\n

Brugler is well connected in the NFL scouting community. Perhaps this was just a miscommunication over an isolated week of practice where Fickell wanted to tone things down.<\/p>\n