MADISON – Wisconsin men’s basketball’s latest absence from the Sweet 16 came with a significant price tag for Greg Gard.
The 11th-year head coach missed out on a boost to his base pay and postseason bonuses when the Badgers’ 2025-26 season ended two wins short of a trip to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
A contract amendment executed in December included a $525,000 increase to Gard’s base salary if his Badgers reached the Sweet 16. (That would have risen to $900,000 with an Elite Eight appearance, $1.1 million with a Final Four appearance, $1.4 million with a national runner-up finish or $1.7 million with a national title.)
Those increases to his base salary would apply throughout the duration of his contract. His base salary – when looking at what both the university and UW Foundation owe him – will be $3.95 million in 2026-27 after missing out on the possible raises.
He also missed out on smaller incentives to his base pay, such as $425,000 if UW won a Big Ten regular-season title or $175,000 if UW was one of the other top-four seeds in the Big Ten tournament – something the Badgers missed by only one game in the conference standings.
A Big Ten tournament title after finishing below fourth in the conference standings would have triggered a $75,000 increase to his annual base pay.
Gard also could have received a $100,000 one-time bonus that has been in place since 2022 for reaching the Sweet 16 and another $100,000 one-time bonus based on UW’s departmental postseason bonus policy. (The bonus based on the departmental policy would have increased to $150,000 for a Final Four, $250,000 for a national runner-up finish or $300,000 or a national title.)
Gard still is set to receive a $50,000 bonus for making the NCAA Tournament, per his contract and UW’s departmental postseason bonus policy.
He has another shot at the same aforementioned base salary increases in 2026-27. If he again misses out on all eight possible incentives, his base salary is set to be $4.05 million in 2027-28, $4.15 million in 2028-29 and $4.25 million in 2029-30.
If the Badgers make the Sweet 16 in 2026-27, for example, Gard’s base salary would then increase to $4.575 million in 2027-28, $4.675 million in 2028-29 and $4.775 million in 2029-30. (If he reached any of those incentives in both seasons, his base pay would have increased twice.)
The potential increase in Gard’s scheduled pay would not have affected his guaranteed pay in the case of termination without cause. His buyout is $8 million through May 31 and then $5 million beginning on June 1.
Gard completed his 11th season as head coach at Wisconsin. The Badgers finished with a 24-11 overall record and 14-6 Big Ten record, marking the fourth time in the last five years with at least 22 wins.
Gard’s eight NCAA Tournament appearances are tied for third-most in the 18-team Big Ten since 2016, and his two Sweet 16 appearances – one in 2016 and the other in 2017 – are tied for sixth-most in that timespan.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How Wisconsin’s early March Madness exit affects Greg Gard’s contract
Reporting by John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
