A familiar face could be headed back to the Big Ten after his tenure in Texas.
Let's set the scene: it's 2010, and the Big Ten Conference has decided to add a Big 12 powerhouse. The conference welcomed the Nebraska Cornhuskers, renewing a heated rivalry between Iowa and Nebraska dating back to 1891. Bo Pelini and the Cornhuskers were coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and were ready to prove they belonged in one of the premier college football conferences.
Nebraska beat Iowa in three of the first four seasons in the conference, but AD Shawn Eichorst fired Pelini in 2014. After being fired in 2017, Eichorst is back, and Iowa fans everywhere are celebrating.
Eichorst is returning to the Big Ten as Wisconsin's new athletic director
Eichorst has been the deputy AD for the University of Texas since 2018, but is returning to his home state.
“In the final analysis, I had to evaluate where Iowa was” RETURNS to the Big Ten! https://t.co/bk0hMgjZld pic.twitter.com/6WwajhZmGq
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) June 30, 2026
Eichorst became infamous for firing successful head football coach Bo Pelini after the 2014 season and replacing him with Mike Riley. Pelini boasted a career 67-27 overall record in seven full seasons (one game as interim head coach), while Riley was fired in 2017 with a 19-19 overall record in three seasons, including a 4-7 finish in 2017.
Eichorst was questioned at length about firing Pelini, and during his announcement, he uttered the now-famous phrase, "In the final analysis, I had to evaluate where Iowa was." This was in reference to Nebraska barely escaping with a 37-34 OT win against the Hawkeyes, and he felt they should have easily beaten Iowa, given the two programs' records at the time.
After he made that declaration, Nebraska lost 10 of 11 to the Hawkeyes, including a 40-16 beatdown in Lincoln last season. Eichorst is officially back in the Big Ten, and Hawkeye fans are rejoicing.
Wisconsin hiring Eichorst couldn't have come at a better time for Iowa
Next season marks the 100th overall meeting between Iowa and Wisconsin in football, with the Badgers holding a slight lead in the series. The Hawkeyes have recently dominated, winning four of the last five, but Wisconsin has an overall record of 49-48-2. With Eichorst now on board, Hawkeye fans are hoping his curse on Nebraska carries over to Wisconsin.
Iowa has won four of the last five, but Wisconsin has won six of the last 10, and the Hawkeyes would love nothing more than to stick it to Eichorst and the Badgers, tying up the all-time series at 49 wins and getting a win in the 100th overall meeting. Last season, the Hawkeyes crushed the Badgers 37-0, and they are looking for a repeat performance in 2026.
Iowa has just received a massive gift from Wisconsin, and hopefully the Eichorst curse continues in Madison.
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