The Big Ten Conference announced Tuesday that Dr. David Bernhardt of the University of Wisconsin has been named the recipient of the 2026 Andy Hipskind Distinguished Big Ten Team Physician Award. The honor arrives as a capstone to a career defined by three decades of clinical excellence and a steadfast commitment to the health and safety of student-athletes in the Midwest.
The announcement comes at a poignant moment for the Wisconsin athletic community. According to a statement from the conference, Dr. Bernhardt is preparing to retire next month, marking the end of a tenure that has spanned more than 31 years of service to the Badger State. His departure signals the loss of one of the region’s most experienced voices in sports medicine and pediatric orthopedics.
The Big Ten’s premier athletic medicine honors are designed to recognize professionals whose careers exemplify leadership, service, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. By selecting Bernhardt, the conference highlights the critical intersection of academic medicine and high-performance athletics—a balance Bernhardt maintained while serving simultaneously as a head medical team physician and a university professor.
A Three-Decade Tenure at Wisconsin
Dr. Bernhardt joined Wisconsin Athletics in 1994, entering a landscape of collegiate sports that was vastly different from today’s era of high-stakes revenue and advanced biometric monitoring. Over the next 31 years, he climbed the ranks to become the head medical team physician, providing comprehensive care across a wide array of sports. His role extended beyond the sidelines. he was tasked with the immediate management of acute injuries and the long-term rehabilitation of athletes striving to return to peak performance.
Beyond his clinical duties with the teams, Bernhardt integrated his practice with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. As a professor in both the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, he helped bridge the gap between theoretical medical research and practical, on-field application. This dual role allowed him to mentor a generation of aspiring physicians, ensuring that the standards of care he implemented at Wisconsin would persist long after his retirement.
His influence is felt not only in the recovery rates of the athletes he treated but in the institutional protocols developed to protect student-athletes from long-term injury. In an era where concussion protocols and workload management have become central to athletic department operations, Bernhardt’s leadership provided a stable, evidence-based foundation for the Badgers’ medical staff.
The Legacy of the Andy Hipskind Award
The award bestowed upon Dr. Bernhardt carries significant emotional and professional weight within the Big Ten. Established in 2024, the Andy Hipskind Distinguished Big Ten Team Physician Award was created to honor the memory and professional legacy of Dr. Andy Hipskind, a primary care sports medicine physician at Indiana University.
Dr. Hipskind served Indiana University from 2003 until his untimely passing in 2021 at the age of 48. He was widely regarded by his peers as a paragon of the “physician-leader” model—someone who could navigate the pressures of a major athletic program while maintaining an unwavering focus on the patient’s well-being. By naming the award in his honor, the Big Ten ensures that Hipskind’s dedication to student-athlete care remains a benchmark for future physicians entering the field.
The selection of Bernhardt as the 2026 recipient underscores the shared values between the two physicians: a commitment to the holistic health of the athlete and a career spent in the service of a single institution’s growth and success.
Broader Recognition in Athletic Medicine
While Dr. Bernhardt was honored for his role as a team physician, the Big Ten also recognized leadership in the broader administrative and performance sphere of sports medicine. Doug Calland of Ohio State was named the recipient of the 2026 Doug Boersma Distinguished Big Ten Athletic Medicine Award.
This award honors the legacy of Doug Boersma, the former senior associate athletic director for sports performance and sports medicine at Purdue University. While the Hipskind award focuses heavily on the clinical physician’s role, the Boersma award recognizes those who lead the infrastructure of athletic medicine—integrating strength, conditioning, and medical oversight to optimize athlete health.
| Award Name | 2026 Recipient | Honoree Legacy | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Hipskind Award | Dr. David Bernhardt (Wisconsin) | Dr. Andy Hipskind (Indiana) | Clinical Excellence & Team Physician Leadership |
| Doug Boersma Award | Doug Calland (Ohio State) | Doug Boersma (Purdue) | Sports Performance & Medical Administration |
The Evolution of the Student-Athlete Model
The recognition of Bernhardt and Calland reflects a broader shift in how the Big Ten approaches athlete health. In recent years, the conference has moved toward a more integrated “healthcare team” approach, where the team physician, athletic trainers, nutritionists, and mental health professionals work in concert rather than in silos.
Bernhardt’s career mirrored this evolution. Starting in the mid-90s, the role of the team physician was often focused on orthopedic repair and return-to-play timelines. By the time of his retirement in 2026, the role had expanded to include preventative medicine, metabolic health, and the psychological components of injury recovery. His ability to adapt his practice to these changing standards is a primary reason for his recognition by the conference.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
As Dr. Bernhardt prepares to step away from his duties next month, the University of Wisconsin and the Big Ten will look toward a transition in leadership for the Badgers’ medical staff. The conference is expected to provide further updates regarding the official presentation of these awards during its upcoming seasonal gatherings.
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