A fast-tracked bill that would provide millions in taxpayer support for University of Wisconsin Athletics and cement the university’s name, image and likeness policies into state law passed the Assembly on Thursday, Feb. 19.
A piece in the Feb. 20 , 2026 issue of the Wisconsin State Journal covered the passage. According to the story:
The bill, Assembly Bill 1034, passed with no discussion and with just one lawmaker, Rep. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, voting against. Three lawmakers were absent from the vote.
The bill goes next to the Senate, where a companion bill has not yet been introduced, even though the chamber will likely meet just one more time in March before adjourning for the year. The bill sped through the Assembly, having been introduced just nine days ago and passing the Assembly’s state affairs committee two days later.
The bill would provide $14.6 million annually toward maintenance costs, making up for some of the $20.5 million the university doled out to athletes in revenue-sharing payments this year.
The university spent nearly $9.9 million to service debt on facilities last fiscal year and has since paused repayment of the rest of the $20 million interest-free loan from campus stemming from a COVID-19 pandemic revenue shortfall.
Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Markesan, one of the bill’s authors, and Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh both said the money from the state is critical to maintaining 23 Badgers sports, including Olympic and women’s sports. At a hearing last week, McIntosh said UW Athletics may need to cut some sports teams if the funding doesn’t come through.
The NIL provisions are intended to keep Wisconsin competitive by allowing UW to contract with organizations to help athletes find NIL opportunities and protect them from “predatory contracts,” Dallman said. The bill formalizes many of the elements of the interim NIL policy that has been in place at Wisconsin since the NCAA allowed athletes to receive payments in 2021.
It would prevent campuses from barring athletes from profiting from NIL agreements or hiring agents. Third-party agreements would have to be disclosed, and they couldn’t be for athletic performance or endorsements of tobacco, alcohol or gambling products.
Records law exemption?
UW Athletics also asked for an exemption from the state’s public records law for NIL athletes whose disclosure could provide what university officials said was a competitive disadvantage for the athletic department.
The bill also carves out $15 million in general tax revenues per year for Wisconsin schools to finance debt payments. Wisconsin had more than $130 million in athletic facilities debt at the end of June 2025, according to its annual audit.
Should the bill be approved by the Senate and signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers, it would be some of the easiest money given to the UW system in years. In recent budget cycles, UW system leaders have asked for far more in operating funds than they received, and at times faced threats of cuts.
