Barry Alvarez’s run as a liaison between the Big Ten commissioner and football coaches has ended after a change in leadership atop the conference.
Alvarez said this week that he won’t return for a third season in his role as the special adviser for football. It’s something Alvarez and new commissioner Tony Petitti had discussed during Big Ten media days last month in Indianapolis.
“I’m not involved with them like I was in the past,” Alvarez said. “I talked to the new commissioner and we talked about it a little bit, but he has his people and I understand that. I don’t have any problem with that.”
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Alvarez, 76, retired as University of Wisconsin athletic director in June 2021 following a 17-year run in that role. He served as the Badgers football coach for 16 seasons, taking over a struggling program in 1990 and leading it to Big Ten titles in 1993, 1998 and 1999. Wisconsin won the Rose Bowl in each of those campaigns.
Taking on a role under former commissioner Kevin Warren in August 2021 was “a way for me to stay involved,” Alvarez said last year. He served as a sounding board to Warren and a voice of experience and reason to the 14 coaches in the conference.
Warren was named team president and CEO of the Chicago Bears early this year, and Petitti took over as commissioner in May.
“I’ve got plenty to do,” Alvarez said.
He already has made arrangements to travel to Dallas next month to watch the Dallas Cowboys practice and play a game. Alvarez’s grandson, former Wisconsin tight end Jake Ferguson, is starting his second season with the Cowboys.
Alvarez also has a grandson playing high school football in Charleston, South Carolina. Another grandson in Charleston plays youth football on a team coached by Alvarez’s son, Chad.
Closer to home, Alvarez has a grandson about to start his freshman season on the Lawrence football team in Appleton.
That’s four levels of family football to follow this fall, not to mention speaking engagements and keeping a close eye on the start of the Luke Fickell era at Wisconsin.
In other words, Alvarez will be plenty busy.
“Somebody said, 'What will you do?'" Alvarez said. “I said, ‘Whatever I want to do.’ That’s why I don’t want to be tied down.”