Wisconsin's Pathetic Football Team Might Cause Devastating Money Problems

Wisconsin is sitting at 2-6 with just four games left in the season.

The Wisconsin Badgers falling off a cliff reportedly will come with serious financial ramifications.

The Badgers are sitting at 2-6 going into the bye this weekend, and to say fans have given up hope would be a massive understatement.

Luke Fickell is fighting for his job every single day the sun comes up in Madison. "Fire Fickell!" chants are the new normal in Madison, and there's no sunshine at the end of the tunnel.

One critical data point I have constantly talked about is money, and it turns out the situation might be even worse than I thought.

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Wisconsin football collapse comes at steep price.

The University of Wisconsin's Center for Research on Wisconsin Economy did a study on the financial impact of the collapse, according to Fox6, and the results are beyond painful.

Football profits directly earned by the school are expected to drop $20 million, and the state as a whole could suffer a $280 million hit.

You read that correctly. The football team no longer being a competitive program is expected to cost the state more than a quarter of a billion dollars.

People are busy arguing about Luke Fickell's buyout. That's amateur hour chatter. The big brain people - like myself - are looking at the money drying up and realize it's a far more pressing concern.

Does the program want to pay roughly $28 million in buyout cash or lose around $280 million for the state and $20 million in direct earnings to the program?

It's just math, folks. It's not complicated. I'd much rather bite the bullet on $28 million than $280 million, and anyone saying differently should never be trusted to hand out financial advice.

Having said all that, watching the Badgers turn into a circus has been surprisingly fun. It seems like there can't possibly be a new rock bottom……..and there always is! What a sad time for Wisconsin fans, and it can always get much worse. Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.