Story perspectives

Wisconsin Names Shawn Eichorst Athletic Director Amid NIL Shift

7/2/2026

Summary

Eichorst Named AD

University of Wisconsin will hire Shawn Eichorst as athletic director, succeeding Chris McIntosh.
Eichorst, a Lone Rock native and UW-Whitewater football player, previously led athletics at UW-Whitewater (1999–2003), Miami (2011–2012) and Nebraska (2012–2017) and served as deputy athletic director and operating officer at Texas.
Critics called the hire a “check-the-boxes” choice as Eichorst will oversee coaches Luke Fickell and Greg Gard and a department confronting name, image and likeness and revenue-sharing changes.

Summary

Urban League Review

The Urban League of Greater Madison sent a letter demanding a review of the UW-Madison athletic director search, noting two candidates of color—interim AD Marcus Sedberry and Northern Illinois AD Sean Frazier—were not interviewed.
UW-Madison’s nine-member search committee, chaired by Lauren Bishop, included a student-athlete, alumni and leaders.
Interim chancellor Eric Wilcots defended the hire, saying the university sought the best candidate with deep experience and success at highest levels.

Summary

Eichorst Faces Rebuild

Eichorst began his tenure as UW-Madison athletic director when chancellor Jennifer Mnookin left to become Columbia’s president.
Texas AD Chris Del Conte called Eichorst a tremendous resource and dear friend.
Wilcots cited Texas’s five-in-six Directors’ Cup wins as a revenue model for Wisconsin.
Wisconsin football posted a 4-8 record in 2025, ending 22 straight winning seasons.
The Badgers added 34 transfers, including 27 from other FBS programs, in the offseason.

Summary

Eichorst Returns

Shawn Eichorst will be formally introduced at a ceremony at Camp Randall Stadium.
Eichorst said it is an honor to return home to Wisconsin and praised the university’s academic-competitive excellence.
University of Nebraska chancellor Ronnie Green terminated Eichorst three weeks into the 2017 football season after Eichorst had overseen a $600 million Memorial Stadium expansion.
Eichorst emphasized a student-centric approach that raised graduation success rates and expanded academic-support infrastructure at Nebraska.

History

Historical Context

Since the Big Ten launched its own network in 2007, the conference has earned tens of millions annually—Fox’s Tier 1 rights deal in 2017 was a six-year agreement. That revenue-sharing model underpins today’s University of Wisconsin search for athletic director Shawn Eichorst, as the Badgers navigate NIL deals and aim for long-term financial stability.

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Eichorst Named AD

University of Wisconsin will hire Shawn Eichorst as athletic director, succeeding Chris McIntosh.
Eichorst, a Lone Rock native and UW-Whitewater football player, previously led athletics at UW-Whitewater (1999–2003), Miami (2011–2012) and Nebraska (2012–2017) and served as deputy athletic director and operating officer at Texas.
Critics called the hire a “check-the-boxes” choice as Eichorst will oversee coaches Luke Fickell and Greg Gard and a department confronting name, image and likeness and revenue-sharing changes.

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