There are officially 100 days until the start of the college football season, and the Wisconsin Badgers are in the dead period of the offseason, with quite some time to go before Fall camp.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s still a crucial period for the Badgers with official visits coming up, but the more important storylines are about the 2026 season, as Wisconsin is in dire need of a bounce-back year. The Badgers are in the midst of one of their roughest patches over the last few decades, as they\u2019ve struggled to produce wins in the new NIL world and a growing Big Ten.<\/p>\n
This offseason produced the most change we\u2019ve seen yet under head coach Luke Fickell, as the Badgers brought in over 30 players from the transfer portal, loading up on talent there with their increased resources. Now, the hope is that it can translate to wins.<\/p>\n
With 100 days away from Week 0, ESPN wrote their top storylines for the 2026 season, which included predictions, must-see games, hotseats, rising coaches, and more.<\/p>\n
Unsurprisingly, Fickell was listed as one of the top five coaches on the hot seat, coming in at No. 3.<\/p>\n
\u201cFickell\u2019s hefty contract has helped secure his job despite Wisconsin\u2019s troubling performance dip, but he also had support from athletic director Chris McIntosh, who boldly hired him in late 2022. McIntosh\u2019s surprising exit to the Big Ten makes it even clearer that Fickell must deliver wins in 2026. Wisconsin\u2019s overall administrative flux makes a coaching change tricky, but the program also can\u2019t afford further on-field slippage. Fickell is just 17-21 at Wisconsin.\u201d<\/p>\n
At No. 3, Fickell is ahead of Maryland\u2019s Mike Locksley (No. 4) and South Carolina\u2019s Shane Beamer (No. 5), while falling behind Baylor\u2019s Dave Aranda (No. 2), and Florida State\u2019s Mike Norvell (No. 1).<\/p>\n
Not only did ESPN list Fickell on the hot seat, but they also linked one of the top five rising coaches to the Badgers: New Mexico\u2019s Jason Eck.<\/p>\n
Eck, considered the No. 2 rising coach on the list ready for a Power 4 job, has seen success at both Idaho and New Mexico, going 9-4 at the latter in Year 1.<\/p>\n