Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon says …

Badger Nation,
For the last four years, I’ve had the chance to live out a dream and play football for the Wisconsin Badgers. It’s been an amazing ride that I’ll never forget. Now I’m ready to go after my dream of playing professional football in the NFL.

But first, I want to say thank you. Thank you to my coaches and teammates for their support and friendship. Thank you to the University of Wisconsin for the opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you to all the fans for making this such an amazing place to play.

The games I’ve played in the Camp will always be some of the best moments of my life. I’ll never forget the Nebraska and Minnesota games this year, and how we battled to win the Big Ten West Division, fighting through adversity and finding ways to win so many games along the way. I’m so proud of what we were able to accomplish together this year, including a great win in the Outback Bowl to share with our families and fans.  Badger fans had our backs, like you always do. I’ll never forget what you did to make the atmosphere so amazing every Saturday. Your support means everything.

I was especially proud to carry on our great running back tradition by winning the Doak Walker Award and to represent our school and our state at the Heisman ceremony in New York.

It’s hard to move on and leave behind something you love so much, but knowing that I have the support of my coaches, teammates and family helps me feel ready and confident. I’ve played for one of the best football programs in the country and I’m going to have a degree from the University of Wisconsin. I feel blessed.

This team and this school mean everything to me. I’m proud to be able to call myself a Wisconsin Badger for the rest of my life.

Thank you, Badger Nation. Thank you for everything.

On, Wisconsin!
Melvin

His coach says, as reported by Dennis Dodd …

Before Gary Andersen goes on, he wants to make one thing clear.

A part of his surprising departure from Wisconsin had to do with admission standards.

“It’s been well [documented] there were some kids I couldn’t get in school,” the Badgers’ former coach said. “That was highly frustrating to me. I lost some guys, and I told them I wasn’t going to lose them.

“I think they did what they were supposed to do [academically] and they still couldn’t get in. That was really hard to deal with.”

Until this recent moment in Andersen’s new Oregon State office, even that much wasn’t certain. It had been referred to, but not out loud by Anderson, as the reason he left a Top 25 Big Ten gig for a Pac-12 bottom feeder.

Now we know. Admissions was probably the reason the 50-year-old Andersen arguably caused the biggest stir of the coaching silly season.

“That’s not Wisconsin’s fault,” Andersen added. “That’s Wisconsin’s deal … I want to surround myself with those kids I can get in school.” …

He was not specific on the faults of the admission policy. When read his former coach’s comments, Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez said: “We haven’t changed. … You’re not going to change our admission policy here. We have a high graduation rate. You get a meaningful degree. It’s not a piece of paper that means you stayed eligible for four years.”

Andersen did not articulate individuals but there are possible examples of his frustration. Juco safety Serge Trezy’s admission was delayed a year because Wisconsin did not accept an online course, his coach told CBSSports.com.

Alvarez told the Wisconsin State Journal that Andersen was “really bothered” that Sun Prairie, Wis., prospect Craig Evans wasn’t admitted.

Receiver Chris Jones achieved NCAA admission standards but reportedly didn’t meet Wisconsin’s. He is now at Toledo.

A Fox Sports report stated Wisconsin requires 17 high-school units for admission. That’s higher than Ohio State, Nebraska (16) Oregon State (15) and Michigan State (14), according to the report.

“Should I have known that going in?” Andersen asked. “Maybe I should have asked more questions. Was anything hidden from me? I’m not saying that at all. It was a learned scenario.”

However …

“I need to be able to have my coaches walk into homes very well connected and committed and understanding of exactly what’s going to take place when they’re talking to those families.”

At Wisconsin, Andersen said, “junior college kids basically became a non-[factor].”

Two former juco players were listed on Wisconsin’s 2014 roster — quarterback Tanner McEvoy and cornerback cornerback T.J. Reynard. There are seven junior college players listed on the 2014 Oregon State roster.

“I think it got to the point where the [Wisconsin] academic criteria definitely had shifted gears,” Andersen said.

Alvarez countered that wasn’t true. For example, in the 25 years prior to Andersen’s arrival Wisconsin “took a total” of 10 junior-college players.

“I thought we talked about that during the interview process,” Alvarez said. “You’re not going to bring truckloads of junior college kids or make a living with junior college kids here.”

“We haven’t changed,” Alvarez added. “You’re not going to change our admissions policy here. You’re not going to change our academics here. … All you have to do is check our track record.”

Alvarez was referring to Wisconsin having the league’s second-best record (.701) since 1993. Its total of 27 players on NFL rosters (going into Week 1) was second in the Big Ten to Ohio State and 12th-best nationally.

Wisconsin is 11th in the Big Ten in the latest NCAA graduation success rate in football. It is second to Northwestern in the conference in football Academic Progress rate. A recent CNN report found that between 2007-2012 only 2 percent of the school’s football enrollees did not achieve the accepted threshold for college literacy.

Alvarez, the veteran Wisconsin coach/AD/power broker, added the academic standards are the same that basketball coach Bo Ryan (at Wisconsin 15 years) and Bielema (nine years) operated under.

“We’ve had a lot of success myself and Bret and Gary,” Alvarez said. “Gary [did it] with Bret’s kids.”

“Our [admissions] people will work with you, but you’re not going to wholesale them. … It’s like going to Stanford and trying to do that, or Northwestern. It’s not going to work. Not here.”

Kyle Cooper, like myself a UW grad, adds:

A few geological epochs ago, when I was a UW student, I had a work-study job that involved transcribing tape-recorded interviews with UW administrators from the ’60s and ’70s (chancellors, deans and the like). More than one spoke of how university leaders at that time believed the UW could excel in academics *or* athletics, but not both.

They chose academics.