The Wisconsin Badgers athletic program saw some unexpected news over the weekend, as Athletic Director Chris McIntosh announced his resignation to take a role at the Big Ten.
The former Badgers football player is accepting a role as the Big Ten’s Deputy Commissioner for Strategy, commissioner Tony Petitti announced on Monday, which is a newly created role by the conference for McIntosh.
In the role, McIntosh will directly report to Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. The move is a major change for the Badgers,
as McIntosh had been Wisconsin’s Athletic Director since 2021 and had been with the athletic department since 2014.
With McIntosh leaving, the Badgers have named an interim director: Deputy Athletic Director Marcus Sedberry.
Sedberry has taken on quite a few roles at Wisconsin. He has been the Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer for Wisconsin Athletics since 2022 after coming over from Baylor, where he was the Senior Associate Athletic Director from 2017-22.
In February of 2025, Sedberry was also appointed the general manager of Wisconsin Athletics, and has been more involved with the football team from a front office perspective.
Here’s what his UW Athletics bio reads:
“As Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the University of Wisconsin, Marcus oversees the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of a department with more than 350 staff members, providing leadership across strategic planning, facilities and capital projects, personnel development, budget planning, sport administration, academic and career services, health and performance, leadership and inclusion, compliance, event management, internal communications, alumni relations, government relations, and campus partnership.”
“Marcus has led or co-led several of Wisconsin’s most consequential initiatives, including the $285M Kellner Family Athletic Center, the 2023 departmental strategic plan and senior leadership restructure, supporting the $100M Building Champions Capital Campaign and the evaluation and hiring of multiple head coaches, including football, women’s basketball, men’s hockey, swimming and diving, and women’s tennis.
“In addition to his COO responsibilities, Marcus serves as General Manager for Wisconsin Athletics, having launched the creation of a professional style front office, which oversees the department’s revenue share strategy, personnel management, recruiting strategy, contract negotiations, external engagement and governance. He has played a pivotal role in helping the Badger Football program build a comprehensive player personnel strategy underscoring the department’s commitment to embracing the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics.“
Sedberry has both collegiate and NFL experience. He was the Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development at Arkansas in 2016, spending time there as well in a stint prior to that. He’s been with the Philadelphia Eagles and UCF as well, spanning over the last 15 years.
It’s unclear whether Sedberry will be taking on the permanent Athletic Director role, but Wisconsin has appointed him as the interim and now has some questions to answer on its future.
