Barry Alvarez claims Wisconsin fans are spoiled for chanting to fire Luke Fickell: 'You're not a fan'

The fourth season of Luke Fickell in Madison is not playing out how anyone would have thought just a few years ago. Wisconsin sports a 2-2 record with both wins coming against Group of Five opponents, while losing to Alabama and Maryland. Even worse, the fan base appears fed up as “Fire Fickell” rained down on Saturday inside Camp Randall during the Big Ten opener.

Not everybody associated with the Badgers likes hearing the chants, though. Legendary head coach and athletic director Barry Alvarez eviscerated Wisconsin fans for being “spoiled” during his radio show on Monday. Alvarez wants everyone to get behind the team, saying there is plenty of football left to be played.

“I think it’s embarrassing,” Alvarez said via ESPN Madison. “I think it’s terrible, despicable. They’re spoiled rotten. Here’s a team that you’ve got young players trying to come on, they’re competing, they’re going to have a chance to get better, and you flip on them. We’re early in the season and you flip on them…

“How do you think that makes the players feel? That’s disrespectful, you’re not loyal, you’re not a fan. If the person sitting next to me is booing — ‘Get your ass out of here. We don’t need you in here. You don’t want to watch this? Go someplace else. Go boo at a bar.’ That really upsets me.”

Alvarez spent 16 years as Wisconsin’s head coach, going through his own struggles at times. Four 10-win seasons equalled the number of times they finished under .500 in his watch. Still, by the end of Alvarez’s tenure, there was some consistency when it came to winning.

Things are a little different now. You have to go back to 2019 to find the program’s last double-digit win campaign. A 22-year bowl streak got broken last year, finishing 5-7. Fans appear to want more and are letting their voices be heard.

If there is one thing Wisconsin fans might not be afraid to do, it’s hang out at a bar. But those who are going to support the Badgers moving forward, Alvarez wants inside the stadium. He seems optimistic about what could develop as the young players grow.

Alvarez will have to wait a few weeks, though. Wisconsin does not host another game until Oct. 11, when long-time Big Ten foe Iowa comes to town. In between now and then is a bye week plus a massive road trip to Ann Arbor to face off against Michigan.