Jul 23, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Luke Fickell on Wisconsin Badgers tough schedule: 'This isn't the Big Ten West anymore'

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Scott Salomon | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 4:30 PM ET

Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers are embracing the challenge of their tough schedule for the 2025 season.

He was asked at Big Ten Media Days about the challenging opponents he'll face this season, and he joked that the reporter was "Captain Obvious" with his question.

“Like I’ve said to our guys in the past, this isn't the Big Ten West anymore," Fickell said. "And I can honestly say, with that schedule has brought upon probably a lot of the changes that we have, whether that's guys that are no longer with us or guys that are with us today."

"The great thing about that schedule is, it’s pretty easy to be able to lay it down right in front of everybody, whether they were coming back for their fifth year or fourth year, or guys that were coming into our program – a guy like [quarterback Billy Edwards."

When the players agreed to come to Wisconsin, the games were already scheduled. It wasn't going to surprise anyone. The players knew what they were getting involved in.

"This isn't the NFL where they lay out the schedule sometime in April. Everybody knows what they signed up for, and everybody knows what they stuck around for," Fickell said. "And the beautiful thing about that is, we've been able to embrace that. We've been able to say, ‘Hey, this isn't going to be an elephant in the room.’ We understand what being a part of the Big Ten and being a part of this conference is."

Fickell knows he doesn't have any choice but to embrace the challenge. This is what he wants. He wants to prove himself against the highest level of competition.

"In order to be at the top and to be the best, you’ve got to compete, and you’ve got to beat the best," Fickell said. "And so it gives us a challenge but an unbelievable opportunity in front of us as well.”