McIntosh secured Wisconsin's place in the expanded Big Ten, which is the single most important job for any AD right now. His move to the conference office actually shows his long-term commit to protecting Wisconsin's revenue and influence. The idea that Alvarez or Richter operated in a vacuum without caring about conference politics is naive. Richter navigated the initial Big Ten expansion. Alvarez literally helped choose the last two Big Ten commissioners. This is just the modern version of that essential work. Wisconsin's 2023 recruiting class ranked 4th in the Big Ten by average player rating, proving the program's foundation is stronger than ever. The soul of a program is in its results, and the trajectory is still pointed up.