Three Potential Replacements for Wisconsin Athletic Director Chris McIntosh

Wisconsin's athletic department is set to undergo a massive change after athletic director of five years Chris McIntosh accepted a role with the Big Ten conference Sunday evening.

McIntosh's departure opens yet another significant administrative position for Wisconsin, which is also searching for its system president and UW-Madison chancellor.

The Badgers will undergo a thorough, national search for their new athletic director, and with Marcus Sedberry filling the position in the interim, there's no real rush to hone in on a hire for Wisconsin's 12th all-time AD.

Still, who are some early names that come to mind as potential replacements for McIntosh? We take a look at three below:

Sean Frazier, NIU Athletic Director/Vice President

It's not clear what Wisconsin is going to prioritize in this search, except potentially fundraising (a no-brainer). Still, Frazier checks off a lot of boxes the Badgers could be looking for.

First of all, he has Wisconsin ties. Frazier held leadership roles at Wisconsin from 2007-2013, and in 2011 he was promoted to Deputy Director of Athletics. He was also Chief of Staff for Barry Alvarez when the latter was the athletic director, and it's safe to assume Alvarez will have at least some say in this hire. Frazier also received his second master's degree (in educational leadership and policy analysis) from Wisconsin.

During his time in Madison, Frazier had a track record of helping to raise money, which again will likely be a big talking point with this hire given that the Badgers' athletic programs have fallen behind some of their peer Big Ten institutions in funding.

Frazier is a widely recognized and respected name in the industry who's been doing it for a long time. He has Wisconsin/Midwest ties, and has done more with less at NIU. Frazier would be along the lines of a traditional Wisconsin hire.

Josh Whitman, Illinois Athletic Director