Luke Fickell is going through a tough time and has lost his previous 6 games consecutively. Not to mention that the head coach’s hot seat rumors aren’t dying down. At this critical juncture, one of Wisconsin’s greats has also refused to help the Wisconsin HC through NIL initiatives when asked about it.

J.J. Watt appeared on the Pat McAfee show, and the College GameDay host playfully teased the Badgers alum about investing money in the struggling program. “You own Burnley and Espanyol. Why don’t you own the Wisconsin football team?” McAfee didn’t stop with his jokes and continued the line of questioning. “You know, I see Will Compton giving speeches and donating his time and everything over there in Nebraska. You’re both in the middle of America.”

Despite McAfee’s tease about non-investment from Watt and invoking Will Compton’s example. The former Badger didn’t signal any intention of doing so, owing to the team’s woefulness on the field. “Feels like you got to step up and maybe sell one of those soccer teams so you can invest directly into Luke Fickell’s pockets in that team. Have you thought about that?” asked McAfee again. Watt, without any hesitation, replied, “They need to play better.” J.J. Watt surely has more than enough pedigree to support Wisconsin.

In May 2023, the 3x DPOY became a minority investor in Premier League soccer team Burnley in England, along with his wife. The soccer investment made sense since his partner, Kealia Watt, is a former US National Women’s Soccer team player. But that’s not where J.J. Watt stopped. This year in July, the former Houston Texans legend, along with Burnley’s owners, was also a part of the takeover of the Spanish La Liga soccer club, Espanyol. The Badgers’ investment, then, is obvious for the Wisconsin legend, who had $129 million earnings in the NFL, right?

Wisconsin, of course, is miles apart from what it was when Watt played for the team. In the 2010 season, the DE led the team to a historic 11-win season, defeating bluebloods like Ohio State and Michigan. Even in 2009, Wisconsin had a 10-win season and defeated Miami in the Bowl game. But that was when Watt was terrorizing offenses at Wisconsin. Now, the team is starkly opposite.

Luke Fickell is in his third season with Wisconsin and is 15-17 so far. This year, the team has underperformed massively and has won just two games in eight. Not to mention, Wisconsin’s head coach hasn’t yet settled on a QB1. All of this contributes to Wisconsin’s woes. Surely, in such a scenario, Badgers needs a full overhaul, and only investment will bear no fruit. That said, it’s not like Watt hasn’t tried to help the team in any way.

J.J. Watt opens up about failed attempt to help Wisconsin Badgers and Luke Fickell

Watt’s trajectory to footballing greatness is not a conventional one. The former defensive end was still a walk-on when he came to Wisconsin. But despite those odds, the guy etched his name in history. The Badgers alum was drafted as the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft and went on to become a legend at the Houston Texans, making 5 Pro Bowls. That’s why, when J.J. Watt refused to give donations to Wisconsin until they played well, Pat McAfee interjected and requested an inspiring speech for Wisconsin players at least.

The 36-year-old fulfilled his obligation. “ I did, didn’t work,” said Watt. Before the season began, the alum went back to the program to meet the players. “I put my one back against the wall. Every single day that I came into this building, this exact building, that exact indoor, I was putting my future on the line every day…realize that you have an opportunity in front of you right now, but every single guy in here needs to grab it and you need to hold each other accountable to do it,” said J.J. Watt. He thought that the legacy might inspire Wisconsin players before the season.

But the results say otherwise. Wisconsin surely had a tough schedule to navigate this year, with teams like Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and Iowa stacked. But the offense and defense haven’t helped at all. The team’s passing offense ranks 127th nationally. Whereas Fickell’s team ranks 44th in total defense. Until the players show improvement, Watt may continue to refuse to support Wisconsin financially.