The University of Wisconsin football team’s 2008 season fell far short of expectations, by almost any standard.
The Badgers were ranked as high as eighth in both major polls after starting 3-0 and had aspirations of a Big Ten Conference title and a Bowl Championship Series berth. But they stumbled to a 7-6 finish, including 3-5 in the conference, and were beaten by Florida State 42-13 in the Champs Sports Bowl.
Yet that didn’t prevent the football coaching staff from earning $263,492 in bonuses, including $100,000 for coach Bret Bielema, as part of the Athletic Department’s Exceptional Achievement Award Policy, which was passed by the Athletic Board in 1994.
Under the policy, UW coaches received nearly $700,000 in bonuses during the 2007-08 school year. The bonuses were paid to head coaches and assistants in 17 of the 23 men’s and women’s sports.