After years of outcry, the UW Athletic Department is finally giving the students what they want by announcing the return of Division I baseball to Madison. To both provide sufficient funding to the baseball program and satisfy Title IX regulations, the Department of Athletics will drop Wisconsin's FBS football program, effective immediately.
The Athletic Department began a comprehensive review in January when the decision to add baseball along with gymnastics was made.
According to Athletic Director Barry Alvarez, the entire department decided it did not like the direction of its football program, and decided it was the sport the university could do without.
Unfortunately, ever since I stepped down as head coach, the football team has been on a downward spiral,"" Alvarez said. ""The pattern of less wins and more losses each season for [head coach] Bret Bielema was very troubling.""
Bielema had success during his first season as a head coach, winning 12 games, including a Capitol One Bowl victory, but many fans did not give Bielema credit for his early success because of the presence of Alvarez's recruits on the team.
Since winning 12 games, Bielema won nine and seven in his next two seasons, respectively.
According to numerous members of the Athletic Department, it was last season that did in Bielema and the Badgers. The department pointed to a loss to a Michigan squad that won three games all season, a 22-point loss to an unranked Iowa team and a 41-point defeat to Penn State at home as reasons for the football program's demise.
None of these losses, however, were as troubling as the one-point victory Wisconsin notched at home over Cal-Poly of the FCS. Bielema's team needed three missed extra points by the Mustangs and an overtime to defeat Cal-Poly, who would lose by two touchdowns to Weber State the following weekend.
When Bielema was told of the Athletic Department's decision, he pointed to wins over Akron and Marshall last season, but it was not enough to save his program. According to reports, Bielema desperately guaranteed a win over Wofford next season as a last-ditch attempt to preserve football at UW.
The decision now leaves the entire program, including players, in flux.
Most players will either transfer or remain at Wisconsin and compete on the newly developed club football team, which will begin play this fall.
Bielema was asked to remain as head coach for Wisconsin's club football team, but it was reported that he is also contemplating an offer to return to Iowa, his alma mater, as a graduate assistant to the football team.
As for Wisconsin baseball, the squad will play its first Division I contest since 1991 in spring of 2010. Home games will be at Camp Randall Stadium, and the popular song ""Jump Around"" will be performed at the seventh inning stretch of home games.
The baseball team, which will start from scratch, is reportedly considering former Brewers manager Ned Yost, Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum and broadcaster Bob Uecker as managerial candidates.
