In a rare moment of drama in the Senate on Tuesday, a bill that would give the UW-Madison athletics department millions to pay down debt and free up other money for revenue-sharing with players passed by a single vote that changed just as the legislation appeared doomed.
The Wisconsin State Journal published a piece in its March 19, 2026 issue. According to the story:
It was a surprising turn of events for a bill that had breezed through the Assembly last month on a near-unanimous vote, with only one Republican voting against, after being fast-tracked through committee and brought to the floor less than two weeks after being introduced.
No discussion was had on the bill, even as Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, initially stood to speak but eventually sat down.
The vote was a nail-biter, with many Republicans and Democrats voting against it. The first vote tally was 17-16 against, a move that would have killed the bill. But before that vote could be announced, Sen. Dora Drake, D-Milwaukee, rose to change her vote from no to yes.
In recent weeks, signs of bipartisan scrutiny have emerged. In a committee vote last week, the bill drew no votes from both sides of the aisle, a rarity for a Legislature that typically votes along party lines or reaches broad agreement on bipartisan bills. Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point, told reporters after a budget committee meeting he was opposed to using taxpayer dollars to pay down the athletic department’s debt.
While the UW Board of Regents and its campuses need lawmakers’ approval to take on debt, the loans taken out by the UW athletics department have traditionally been paid off through program revenue, such as ticket and concession sales, not by taxpayers.
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.
In committee hearings, McIntosh said UW Athletics may need to cut some sports teams if the funding doesn’t come through. The measure would also codify in state law name, image and likeness policies already in place at the school. Those provisions are intended to keep Wisconsin competitive by allowing UW Athletics 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.
UW Athletics also asked for an exemption from the state’s public records law for NIL agreements with athletes and documents 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 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.
On Tuesday March 17, following a WisPolitics luncheon, Assembly Speaker Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said that while he would go back to how college sports operated a decade ago “in a heartbeat,” the reality is that lawmakers need to adapt to the times.
“I want the Badgers to be able to win. I want to be able to have college athletics for more than just a football and a basketball team,” Vos said. “I want to make sure that they can be competitive. So I think all of these are good for the same time.”
