While the University of Wisconsin’s overall athletic performance has stayed roughly the same, if not better than it was in 2011, the economic impact their athletic program has had on the state in that time has fallen by more than one-third.
While construction spending by the athletic department has decreased since 2011, according to a UW official, this decrease only accounts for some of the drop.
The economic impact study — produced by Philadelphia consulting firm Econsult Solutions, Inc. — also showed that Badgers sports support 4,480 jobs in Wisconsin, another decrease compared to 2011.