Wisconsin AD McIntosh Joins Big Ten in New Role
Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh is resigning immediately to accept a new position with the Big Ten, Filmogaz.com has learned. He will become the conference’s deputy commissioner for strategy and will report directly to Commissioner Tony Petitti.
Role and responsibilities
McIntosh’s position is newly created and will focus on leaguewide strategy. He is expected to help shape policy and long-term planning for the Big Ten.
Succession at Wisconsin
Deputy AD and COO Marcus Sedberry is the likely interim athletic director, sources told Filmogaz.com. University leaders say succession plans remain fluid as they finalize next steps.
Timing and recent activity
McIntosh was in Las Vegas for the UW men’s hockey Frozen Four over the weekend. The Badgers lost 2-1 to Denver in the national title game on Saturday.
Career and background
A former All-American at Wisconsin, McIntosh was a first-round NFL pick in 2000 by the Seattle Seahawks. Neck injuries ended his playing career and he later worked in the private sector on several start-up ventures.
He joined the Wisconsin athletic department under Barry Alvarez in 2014. McIntosh rose to deputy athletic director and became the university’s athletic director in 2021.
Business initiatives under McIntosh
His leadership oversaw a 10-year, $104.5 million renewal with Under Armour. The department also reached an agreement with UW Health to present Wisconsin women’s sports.
Officials launched a new NIL initiative tied to the athletic department’s multimedia rights deal with Learfield. These deals aimed to modernize revenue and support student-athletes.
Football program and coach support
McIntosh publicly supported coach Luke Fickell in October during a difficult stretch for the football program. He pledged additional resources to help the program compete in the costly NIL era.
Reports indicated Fickell would have been owed more than $25 million if fired last year, according to ESPN.
Broader university context
The departure comes amid wider leadership turnover at the university. System president Jay Rothman was fired last week, and Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin was named president of Columbia University in January.
Outlook
McIntosh said he is honored to have served Wisconsin and is eager to work with Commissioner Petitti at the Big Ten. He described the move as an opportunity to help preserve the best aspects of college athletics for student-athletes.
