Overview
- UW–Madison Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin said Chris McIntosh will take the new Big Ten strategy post, with deputy AD Marcus Sedberry named interim athletic director effective immediately.
- McIntosh confirmed the job change to Sports Business Journal, which reported he will report to Commissioner Tony Petitti and focus on the conference’s long-term plans.
- Over four years running Wisconsin athletics, he hired football coach Luke Fickell, men’s hockey coach Mike Hastings, and women’s basketball coach Robin Pingeton and expanded deals with Under Armour, UW Health, and Learfield for NIL support.
- On-field results were mixed as Fickell’s teams went 17–21, while women’s hockey won national titles in 2023, 2025, and 2026 and volleyball won in 2021.
- The Wisconsin State Journal reported interim chancellor-designate Eric Wilcots will lead the AD search, a transition unfolding as the $285 million Kellner facility comes online and the department works to stay competitive in name, image and likeness.