The Jump Around

Ep. 93 Wisconsin Officially Hires Shawn Eichorst… Good Move or Big Mistake? + Jim Polzin Joins!

Wisconsin has officially named Shawn Eichorst as its next athletic director. Was this the right move for the future of Badger athletics? On this episode of The Jump Around, Jim Rutledge and Riley Jauch react to Wisconsin's biggest offseason decision and discuss what the hire means for football, basketball, NIL, and the future of the athletic department. In this episode: Our reaction to Wisconsin officially hiring Shawn Eichorst Why the fan reaction has been so mixed What Eichorst's track record says about his leadership and NIL strategy How Wisconsin compares to Eichorst's previous stops The domino effect this hire could have on Luke Fickell, Marcus Sedberry, and the rest of the athletic department Whether fans place too much importance on the athletic director position Lane Grindle's perspective after working with Eichorst at Nebraska Twitter Portal featuring the latest Wisconsin Badgers discussions Jim Polzin joins the show to explain how Wisconsin's athletic director search unfolded, why Eichorst was chosen, and what comes next for UW athletics Subscribe for Wisconsin Badgers football, basketball, recruiting, NIL, and Big Ten coverage from The Jump Around on ESPN Madison and ESPN Milwaukee.

EXTRA: Wisconsin Hiring Shawn Eichorst! | New Badgers Director of Athletics REACTION

The Jump Around is LIVE on ESPN Madison reacting to reports that Shawn Eichorst is expected to become Wisconsin's next Director of Athletics. Jim Rutledge & Riley Jauch are on the air! What does the reported hire mean for the future of Wisconsin football, Luke Fickell, Badgers basketball, NIL, revenue sharing, and the direction of the athletic department? Eichorst is a Wisconsin native and former Badgers deputy athletic director under Barry Alvarez who later served as athletic director at Miami and Nebraska before returning to a senior leadership role at Texas. Reports indicate Wisconsin is set to bring him back to Madison to replace Chris McIntosh as the Badgers' athletic director. On today's LIVE show: Immediate reaction to the reports Why Wisconsin reportedly chose Shawn Eichorst What this means for Luke Fickell and Badgers football How the hire could impact NIL, fundraising, and revenue sharing Biggest opportunities and concerns for Wisconsin Athletics Your live reactions and questions Subscribe for more Wisconsin Badgers coverage, and listen live or on demand anytime on the ESPN Wisconsin App.

Ep. 92 🏈 Will Notre Dame Make or Break Wisconsin’s 2026 Season? | The Jump Around

The Wisconsin Badgers open the 2026 season with one of their biggest challenges in years: a showdown against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field for the 2026 Shamrock Series. On this episode of The Jump Around, Jim Rutledge and Riley Jauch break down whether the Shamrock Series matchup could set the tone for Wisconsin’s entire season and what the Badgers need to show against a national title contender to leave fans optimistic. We also discuss: Why Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame is such a pivotal opener Whether Luke Fickell’s team can build momentum with a strong performance What would make Badger fans feel confident, win or lose Dusty May’s surprising departure from Michigan and what it could mean for Greg Gard Whether Greg Gard would ever leave Wisconsin for another coaching opportunity Luke Fickell’s latest comments on the changing landscape of college football Twitter Portal featuring the biggest conversations in Wisconsin athletics Voice of the Wisconsin Badgers, Matt Lepay, joins the show to discuss the Badgers If you love Wisconsin Badgers football, basketball, recruiting, and Big Ten analysis, subscribe for more live coverage and discussion from The Jump Around on ESPN Madison and ESPN Milwaukee.

Ep. 91 BOLD Badgers Predictions -- Is Wisconsin Primed For A HUGE Season?? + Jake Kocorowski Joins!

Can Wisconsin football exceed expectations in 2026? On this episode of The Jump Around, Jim Rutledge and Riley Jauch react to Phil Steele’s latest preseason preview and discuss why he believes the Badgers are poised for a major improvement this season. From projected offensive production to quarterback Colton Joseph’s outlook, we break down whether Wisconsin fans should share that optimism. In this episode: Phil Steele’s predictions for Wisconsin football Whether averaging around 27 points per game would be enough for the Badgers If Wisconsin’s success would come from internal growth or a favorable schedule Our top instant-impact players for the 2026 season The importance of transfers and first-year contributors in today’s college football landscape Bradie Ewing’s role in reconnecting Wisconsin football alumni with the program Twitter Portal featuring the latest Badgers and college football conversations Jake Kocorowski joins the show to share his insights on Wisconsin football and react to Phil Steele’s projections If you’re a Wisconsin Badgers fan looking for football analysis, recruiting discussion, transfer portal talk, and Big Ten coverage, subscribe for more content from The Jump Around on ESPN Madison and ESPN Milwaukee.

Ep. 90 Wisconsin Recruiting Is SURGING… Should Badger Fans Believe Again? | The Jump Around

Wisconsin football is on a recruiting heater. The Badgers have added several key commitments to their 2027 recruiting class and now sit among the top-ranked classes in the country. Is this a sign that Luke Fickell's vision is finally taking shape, or are recruiting rankings less important in the transfer portal era? On this episode of The Jump Around with Jim Rutledge and Riley Jauch, we discuss: • Whether the NCAA still has any real power in college athletics • The latest ruling involving college football eligibility and what it means for the future of the sport • Wisconsin's rapidly rising 2027 recruiting class • Why the Badgers now have 20 verbal commitments • What fans should know about the recruiting process • How much recruiting rankings actually matter in today's college football landscape • Whether Wisconsin can sustain success through high school recruiting • Does Caroline "KK" Harvey have the greatest athletic résumé in Wisconsin history? • Twitter Portal featuring the latest Wisconsin and college athletics reactions • Nick Osen of 247Sports joins the show to break down Wisconsin recruiting momentum and what it means for Luke Fickell's future Subscribe for Wisconsin Badgers football coverage, recruiting news, NIL updates, Big Ten analysis, basketball discussion, and weekly live shows from ESPN Madison and ESPN Milwaukee.