Luke Fickell brings a championship mindset to Wisconsin football and his players are buying in

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
MADISON – Luke Fickell’s recent comments sent an already energized Wisconsin fan base into orbit.
“I'll start off by answering a question I’ve been asked several times in the last several months,” Fickell said. “The question that comes down to: ‘Define what success looks like in Year 1 and what are your expectations?’"
The answer?
“We have one objective and that’s to play for a championship,” Fickell added. “I don’t think that will ever change, whether it’s Year 1, Year 2, three, four or five. That’s what our objective is.”
Woof.
UW held its annual media day Tuesday at Camp Randall Stadium. Fickell and his staff are set to open preseason camp Wednesday morning at UW-Platteville.
“And that’s what’s exciting for me…to recognize this opportunity that’s in front of us, how close it is,” Fickell said, “and now to put your culture and things to a test, with all the things that come with camp and the season.
“The human elements, the preparation, the playing time, the winning of games. That's when you find out what you've really got.”
Tailback Braelon Allen noted the team’s No. 1 goal this season is to win every game.
Linebacker Maema Njongmeta laughed when asked if he thought Allen’s comments was ballsy.
“I don’t think it is ballsy,” he said after regaining his composure. “I think that’s like asking a pilot (his) goal and he says to land safely. Is that ballsy? No. I think that is accurate.
“For me, the team goal is to maximize the players that we have. Maximize our talents and maximize our ability to come together as a team.
“Not just maximize our talent but maximize our talents together. I believe – and a lot of guys on the team believe – that if we can do that and become the best thing we can be – everything else will take care of itself.”
UW is a slight favorite to edge Iowa for the Big Ten West Division title. Michigan is the overwhelming favorite to win the East.
The Wolverines have won the last two league titles; UW last won the division in 2019 and hasn’t won the league title since 2012.
Fickell emphasized the players and coaches – not outsiders – will define what success looks like in 2023.
“I'll tell our guys as we start camp that nobody outside of our team, nobody outside of the walls at which the guys are there every single day, that have everything invested will define what success looks like for us,” he said. “We can't allow that.
“We can't allow fans. We can't allow students. We can't allow former players. We can't allow the media to define what success looks like within our program.”
So how will Fickell define success in Year 1?
“Success looks like, to me, when you play your best ball at the end of the year,” he said. “When you play your best ball at the end of the year you have an opportunity – and we will have an opportunity – to play for a championship.”
Badgers must finish stronger than they did in 2022
UW went just 2-2 in November last season, with victories over Maryland and Nebraska, with losses to Iowa and Minnesota.
The loss to Minnesota left the Badgers with a 4-5 record in league play, the first time since 2008 they finished below the .500 mark in the league. The loss also left UW 1-4 in games decided in the final quarter. Minnesota outscored UW, 10-0, in the final quarter to wipe out a 16-13 deficit.
“But what is playing your best ball at the end of the year take?” Fickell continued. “It takes an incredible amount of consistency and in Year 1 with new offenses, new…there's a lot of things that have to be done.
“So, the consistency. The ability to grow as individuals, to grow as players, to grow as a team is really critical in how the development will happen. And our ability to handle adversity, which every one of us knows, whether it's the start of camp or the start of the season, you're going to – no matter how your season is going – encounter adversity. That’s the beauty of this game.
“How we handle that, how we have the ability to grow, how we have the ability to come together the way at which we play in the last month of the season will really help me and our program define what it looks like and what it is as we move forward.”