When the Wisconsin Badgers hired Luke Fickell, he was one of the hottest names in coaching. He had just led the Cincinnati Bearcats to some of the best performances in their football program history.
Wisconsin gave Fickell a fittingly 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.
But when things go poorly, fans want to understand what it'd take to move on.
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Luke Fickell buyout terms
Fickell has a $40,186,667 contract buyout, as of USA Today data that has the latest figure as of Dec. 1, 2024.
At the time, that ranked as the 13th-largest buyout total in Division I.
Fickell's contract buyout number would go down further into his deal. But if Wisconsin wants to fire Fickell without cause before Dec. 1, it'd owe him a large eight-figure total.
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
The Badgers will have to get to work to reach those feats under Fickell.
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