Wisconsin AD McIntosh Resigns for Big Ten Role

Chris McIntosh, the athletic director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2021, announced his resignation Monday to accept a new position as deputy commissioner for strategy with the Big Ten Conference.

The move, confirmed by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, places McIntosh in a newly created role where he will advise the commissioner and lead strategy development for the 18-member league. He will begin on May 1, 2026. Petitti described the appointment as a way to bolster the conference's leadership amid rapid changes in college athletics. "As intercollegiate athletics continues to change at an unprecedented pace, it is essential for the Big Ten Conference to maintain its role as a national leader in academic and athletic excellence," Petitti said in a statement.

McIntosh, a former All-American offensive tackle for the Badgers, expressed mixed emotions about leaving his alma mater. "I have been a part of the Big Ten Conference as a student-athlete, administrator, and athletic director since arriving at Wisconsin in 1996," he said. "The opportunity to join Commissioner Petitti's leadership team and help guide the conference and its institutions toward a stronger future...