Visit the UW-Madison campus on any game day and you can see the economic impact of Badger sports on the Madison community and the entire state. Add the thousands of people watching or listening to the Badgers on TV or radio while wearing Bucky apparel and you get a sense of Badger brawn, financially speaking. A recent report from NorthStar Economics, Inc. measures the extent of this impact. In 2010, the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department (UWAD) had a total impact on the state economy of $970 million, generating $52.8 million in tax revenue. More than 8,850 jobs were created and supported.
UWAD also makes an impact on campus that reaches beyond the playing field and into the classroom. Licensing fees of $1.32 million and $1.44 million in Big Ten Network revenue sharing enabled UWAD to give the Office of Student Financial Aid nearly $2.77 million for need-based financial aid. This means that sales of all those official Bucky T-shirts and caps are helping qualified students attend the UW-Madison. And, the hours spent watching Badger athletes on the Big Ten Network are making it possible for promising students to fulfill their educational goals.