Report: Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh leaving school for new position in Big Ten office

Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh will reportedly resign from his position immediately to join the Big Ten in a newly-created deputy commissioner role, according to the Sports Business Journal. McIntosh, 49, will report directly to Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and his role will reportedly focus on “shaping the broad strategy of the league,” per SBJ.

McIntosh, a Badgers alum, has served as the Wisconsin athletic director since 2021, when he was promoted from deputy AD following the retirement of legendary coach and AD Barry Alvarez. Current deputy AD/chief operating officer Marcus Sedberry is expected to be named the interim AD, though current succession plans remain fluid, according to SBJ.

McIntosh confirmed SBJ’s reporting in a statement to the outlet Sunday.

“To be able to work for the University of Wisconsin and certainly for the last five years as athletic director, to be able to pour everything I had into transitioning Wisconsin into a changing world, it’s just been an honor,” McIntosh told SBJ. “I’ve said along the way that the best thing about Wisconsin is the people. I’ve been surrounded by the best people and people who care about, first and foremost, our student athletes and about the university. They’ve just given everything to making Wisconsin the best it can be.

“On one hand it’s very difficult for me to transition away from a place that’s so important to me. On the other hand, it’s an incredible honor and an incredible opportunity to be able to transition to a position at the Big Ten and to work for an incredible leader like Commissioner Petitti and alongside some top-tier, very capable members of the Big Ten as we navigate a dynamic period for college athletics.”

McIntosh, who was an All-American offensive tackle with the Badgers from 1996-99, was a first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played two years in the NFL before multiple neck injuries derailed his professional career.

After a decade in the private sector, McIntosh returned to Madison in 2014 as the school’s director of business development under then-Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez. He was promoted to associate AD in 2016 and then again to deputy AD a year later, a role he served until Alvarez’ retirement in 2021.

While the Badgers football program has faced its struggles in recent years under third-year head coach Luke Fickell, including a dismal 4-8 season in 2025, McIntosh has overseen several big ventures in his five years leading his alma mater. That included a 10-year, $104.5 million renewal with Under Armour and a new NIL initiative through Wisconsin’s multimedia rights agreement with Learfield.

“Personally, there’s excitement to play a role in preserving the best of what college athletics means to student athletes,” McIntosh told SBJ. “Change like this can be incredibly difficult and the love I have for the University of Wisconsin, it’s a time in which I think we all need to do everything we can to ensure that college athletics is put in the best position in the BigTen.”