I heard Pollard give a talk to a small audience years ago at a professional conference. It was more about leadership than athletics specifically. But somehow the topic of Wisconsin came up and he talked about how they've changed, they forgot who they are, etc. I was surprised both at the disdain he seemed to have for Wisconsin and that he would talk publicly about it, even at this low-visibility event.
That's just one data point (which is now very dated), and obviously things can change. But he's talked numerous times in recent years about not forgetting who we are as we grow and experience more success, and whenever he does I can't help but think of that speech. Whatever happened when he was at Wisconsin, or since he left, appears to have had a real impact on him.