Wisconsin Badgers football
2025 Wisconsin Badgers football team
First season	1889; 136 years ago
Athletic director	Chris McIntosh
General manager	Marcus Sedberry
Head coach	Luke Fickell 3rd season, 16–20 (.444)
Stadium	Camp Randall Stadium (capacity: 80,321)
Field	Barry Alvarez Field
Location	Madison, Wisconsin
NCAA division	Division I FBS
Conference	Big Ten
All-time record	748–524–53 (.585)
Bowl record	19–16 (.543)
Unclaimed national titles
1906,1912,1928,1942
Conference titles
Big Ten:1896,1897,1901,1906,1912,1952,1959,1962,1993,1998,1999,2010,2011,2012
Conference division titles
Big Ten Leaders:2011 Big Ten West:2014,2016,2017,2019
Heisman winners	Alan Ameche – 1954 Ron Dayne – 1999
Consensus All-Americans	32
Rivalries	Iowa (rivalry) Minnesota (rivalry) Nebraska (rivalry)
Current uniform
Colors	Cardinal and white[1]
Fight song	On, Wisconsin!
Mascot	Bucky Badger
Marching band	University of Wisconsin Marching Band
Outfitter	Under Armour
Website	uwbadgers.com

TheWisconsin Badgers football program represents theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison in the sport ofAmerican football. Wisconsin competes in theFootball Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) within theBig Ten Conference (Big Ten). The Badgers have competed in the Big Ten since its formation in 1896. They play their home games atCamp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football.

Wisconsin is one of 26 College football programs to win 700 or more games. The program has been one of the most successful since the 1990s. Wisconsin has had twoHeisman Trophy winners,Alan Ameche andRon Dayne, and has had twelve former players inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame.

The team's nickname originates in the early history of Wisconsin. In the 1820s and 1830s,prospectors came to the state looking for minerals, primarily lead. Without shelter in the winter, the miners had to "live like badgers" in tunnels burrowed into hillsides.^[2]

The first Badger football team took the field in 1889, losing the only two games it played that season. In 1890, Wisconsin earned its first victory with a 106–0 drubbing of Whitewater Normal School (now theUniversity of Wisconsin–Whitewater), still the most lopsided win in school history. However, the very next week the Badgers suffered what remains their most lopsided defeat, a humiliating 63–0 loss at the hands of theUniversity of Minnesota. Since then, the Badgers and Gophers have met 127 times, making Wisconsin vs Minnesota the most-played rivalry in theFootball Bowl Subdivision.^[3]

Upon the formation of theBig Ten conference in 1896, Wisconsin became the first-ever conference champion with a 7–1–1 record. Over the next ten years, the Badgers won or shared the conference title three more times (1897, 1901, and 1906), and recorded their first undefeated season, going 9–0–0 (1901). With the exception of their second undefeated season in 1912, in which they won their fifth Big Ten title.

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The 1912 season would be their last conference title until 1952. The team posted mostly winning seasons over the next several seasons however.

1942 was an important year for Wisconsin football. On October 24, the No. 6 ranked Badgers defeated the No. 1 rankedOhio State Buckeyes atCamp Randall, catapulting Wisconsin to the No. 2 spot in theAP poll. Unfortunately for the Badgers, their national championship hopes were dashed in a 6–0 defeat by theIowa Hawkeyes the following week. Nevertheless, Wisconsin won the remainder of its games, finishing the season 8–1–1 and No. 3 in the AP, while garnering theHelms Athletic Foundation vote for National Champion, giving the program its only National Championship to date (the AP National Champions were the Ohio State Buckeyes, whom Wisconsin beat during the season). Afterwards, the Badgers struggled to regain their momentum, with their efforts hampered by many of their star players leaving as a result ofWorld War II. In the late 1940s, fans began insisting that head coachHarry Stuhldreher resign, many times chanting "Goodbye Harry", especially during 1948, where the Badgers finished 2–7. Stuhldreher stepped down as head coach, while keeping his duties as athletic director. Stuhldreher then namedIvy Williamson as head coach

The Badgers experienced great success during the 1950s under Williamson, finishing in the AP Top 25 eight times that decade. In one stretch, from 1950 to 1954, the Badgers went 26-8-3. The Badgers' success during those seasons was defined by a stout defense, dubbed "The Hard Rocks", which usually finished in the top 5 of the nation in overall defense, including leading the nation in 1951. In 1952, the team received its first No. 1 ranking by the Associated Press. That season, the Badgers again claimed the Big Ten title and earned their first trip to theRose Bowl. There they were defeated 7–0 by theSouthern California, and would finish the season ranked No. 11 in the AP. In 1954 after a 7–2 season, Wisconsin'sAlan Ameche became the first Badger to win the Heisman Trophy. Ivy Williamson stepped down as head coach in 1955 to become athletic director, and was replaced by his former assistant coach, Milt Bruhn. Bruhn would continue Wisconsin's success, after an initial setback with a 1-5-3 record in 1956. Wisconsin returned to theRose Bowl as Big Ten Champions in 1959, but fell to theWashington Huskies, 44–8.

Continuing under the direction of Bruhn in 1962, the Badgers had another landmark season, spearheaded by the passing combination ofRon Vander Kelen to All-AmericanPat Richter. The Badgers standout victory was an upset of No. 1-ranked Northwestern, who were coached then by the legendaryAra Parseghian. The Badgers finished 8–1, earned their eighth Big Ten title, and faced the top-rankedUSC Trojans in theRose Bowl. Despite a narrow 42–37 defeat, the Badgers still ended the season ranked No. 2 in both the AP and Coaches polls (post-bowl rankings were not introduced until later in the decade).

Following the successful 1962 campaign, Wisconsin football scuffled, and Milt Bruhn resigned in 1966 after three straight losing seasons. Wisconsin chose former assistant coachJohn Coatta as Bruhn's replacement. The Badgers finished even worse under Coatta, going winless for 23 straight games from 1967 to 1969, and winning only 3 games overall during Coatta's short reign, each of the wins occurring during the 1969 season. What stung even worse for Badger fans during the three season, was the coach that Wisconsin supposedly turned down for the head coaching role,Bo Schembechler, then the head coach atMiami University, who would become a coaching legend at Michigan.

In 1970, new athletic directorElroy Hirsch named John Jardine as head coach. While the Badgers weren't a consistent winner under Jardine, the program regained stability, and also brought excitement in running backs Rufus "Roadrunner" Ferguson and Billy Marek, who ran behind blocking led by futurePittsburgh Steelers andPro Football Hall of Fame centerMike Webster.. The Badgers went 37-47-3 under Jardine, who stepped down in 1977.

After more subpar seasons from 1978 to 1980, the team had a string of seven-win seasons from 1981 to 1984 underDave McClain. During that time the Badgers played in theGarden State Bowl (1981),Independence Bowl (1982), andHall of Fame Classic Bowl (1984). McClain's death during spring practice in 1986 sent the Badgers into free fall. From 1986 to 1990 with interim coachJim Hilles and thenDon Morton, the Badgers won a total of nine games.

By the end of the 1989 season, the Wisconsin football program was in disarray, shouldering a debt of over $2 million and with only 30,000 fans attending games at the 77,000-capacity stadium. New athletic director Pat Richter namedBarry Alvarez, the defensive coordinator atNotre Dame, as the new head coach. To bring stability and interest to the program again, Alvarez targeted the top high school players in Wisconsin, "building a wall" around the state, and also encouraged players not recruited to join the program as walk-ons. Though Alvarez won his first game as head coach over Ball State, the Badgers finished 1–10 in 1990. The Badgers finished 5–6 in the next two seasons, but there were encouraging signs for the future. Wisconsin was in bowl contention on the last day of the 1992 season, but a narrow loss to Northwestern kept them from the postseason.

Everything finally came together for the Badgers in 1993. They steamrolled through the season, finishing 10-1-1, winning their first Big Ten championship since 1962 and beatingUCLA 21–16 to claim their firstRose Bowl victory.

After the surprise success of 1993, the Badgers fell back into mediocrity, though remaining competitive, going 2–1 in bowl games from 1994 to 1997, with victories in the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1994, and the Copper Bowl in 1996. Alvarez retooled the team with a new batch of talented recruits during this stretch of seasons, and they came to full fruition in 1998 and 1999. Among the standouts were cornerbackJamar Fletcher, wide receiverChris Chambers, quarterbackBrooks Bollinger, offensive linemenAaron Gibson,Chris McIntosh, andMark Tauscher, and running backRon Dayne. With "The Great Dayne" leading the way, the Badgers won back-to-back Big Ten championships and back-to-back Rose Bowls over UCLA in1999 and Stanford in2000. The 1998 team won a school-record 11 games, while the 1999 team won its first outright Big Ten title since 1962. Ron Dayne set a new NCAA record for career rushing yardage, and won the Heisman Trophy in 1999.

In 2000, there were hopes of the Badgers winning their third consecutive Big Ten championship and an unprecedented three straight Rose Bowls. However early in the season, Wisconsin's football and basketball programs were hit with "The Shoe Box scandal", when a local shoe store gave university athletes discounts on footwear. Wisconsin athletic programs were put on five years of probation and several players were suspended by the NCAA. The Badgers finished 9–4, with a victory over UCLA in the Sun Bowl.

Due to the loss of scholarships as a result of the NCAA investigation, the Badgers struggled through the 2001–2003 seasons, never finishing higher than seventh in the Big Ten. The Badgers returned to the top 20 in the AP polls in 2004 and 2005, with a victory in the Capitol One Bowl in 2005. In 2004, Alvarez was named athletic director, replacing the retiring Pat Richter. The strain of holding both roles became too much for Alvarez, and he stepped down as head coach after the 2005 season.

Alvarez coached the Badgers for 16 seasons, finishing with a 118-73-4 record, three times finishing in the Top 10 in the AP polls, and the only Big Ten head coach to win back-to-back Rose Bowls.

Following the 2005 season, Alvarez resigned as head coach in order to focus on his duties as athletic director, a position he had assumed in 2004. He named his defensive coordinator,Bret Bielema, as his successor. Wisconsin's 2006 team went 12-1 and won the Capital One Bowl over Arkansas 17–14. Wisconsin finished the season ranked 5th in coaches poll and 7th in the AP Poll. From 2006 to 2011, Bielema led the Badgers to six consecutive bowl appearances, going 2–4. In 2010, the Badgers won a share of the Big Ten Championship and returned to theRose Bowl for the first time since 2000. There they were defeated 21–19 by the No. 3 rankedTCU Horned Frogs. In 2011, the Badgers were once again crowned Big Ten Champs when they defeated Michigan State in the first-everconference championship game. The victory sent Wisconsin back to theRose Bowl for a second consecutive year, where they were defeated by thePac-12 championOregon Ducks, 45–38.

The 2012 season ended with the Badgers winning a third consecutive Big Ten title. Despite finishing with a 7–5 record and third in the Leaders Division, the Badgers advanced to the Big Ten Championship game by virtue of the fact thatPenn State andOhio State were ineligible for postseason play. A dominating rushing performance led Wisconsin to a 70–31 victory over No. 12 rankedNebraska in the Big Ten Championship game. Only days later, Bret Bielema resigned to become the head coach of theArkansas Razorbacks.Gary Andersen, formerly coach ofUtah State University, was named head coach on December 19, 2012. At the request of the team captains, Barry Alvarez named himself interim coach for the 2013 Rose Bowl, where the Badgers lost, 20–14 toStanford.^[4] Bret Bielema finished his coaching career at Wisconsin with a 68–24 record a 74 percent winning percentage 3 top 10 finishes 6 top 25 finishes 3 Big ten titles and 7 straight winning seasons won ten or more games 4 out of 7 years.

Gary Andersen was hired in December 2012 after Bret Bielema resigned to become the head coach for the University of Arkansas. Andersen was previously the head coach forUtah State where he went 26–23 in his four years at Utah State with his last season being 11-2 and finishing first in theWestern Athletic Conference. Andersen's first win as the Badgers coach was a 45–0 win againstMassachusetts. His first Big Ten football victory was a 41–10 victory overPurdue. The Badgers ended 2013 with a 9–4 record after losing to No. 8South Carolina Gamecocks in theCapital One Bowl.

The Badgers started out the 2014 season ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll and their season opener was against No. 13LSU Tigers in Houston, after leading the Tigers through three quarters the Tigers came back from a 24–7 deficit to defeat the Badgers 28–24.^[5] The Badgers recorded their first road shutout since 1998 in a 37–0 victory over the Big Ten newcomersRutgers Scarlet Knights.^[6] On November 15, junior running backMelvin Gordon broke the all-time FBS single-game rushing yards record with 408 yards in a 59–24 victory against theNebraska Cornhuskers.^[7] However that record only lasted a week asSamaje Perine from Oklahoma rushed for 427 yards the very next week. The 2014 regular season ended with the Badgers taking 1st place in the West Division with a 10–2 record. Wisconsin played Ohio State for the conference title in the2014 Big Ten Championship Game where the Badgers lost to Ohio State 59–0. It was the first time since 1997 that the Badgers were shutout and the worst loss since 1979 when Ohio State defeated the Badgers 59–0.^[8]

Andersen departed Wisconsin four days later, taking the vacant head coaching position atOregon State.^[9] Andersen cited family as his rationale for taking the Oregon State position; however, it was reported by some media outlets, such asFox Sports andSports Illustrated, that Andersen was frustrated with the university's high academic standards for athletes.^[10][11] Those reports turned out to be accurate, and were confirmed by Andersen in January 2015.^[12] Andersen had to pay a $3 million buyout for departing within the first two years of his contract, which was set through January 2019.^[13] At the request of the teams' seniors, Barry Alvarez named himself interim coach for the2015 Outback Bowl vs.Auburn on January 1, 2015.^[14] Wisconsin won the game 34–31 in overtime.^[15] Gary Andersen finished his coaching career at Wisconsin with a 19–7 record a 73 percent winning percentage with one Big Ten west division title.

After the departure of Gary Andersen, former Badgers offensive coordinator (2005-2011) and Pitt head coach (2012-2014)Paul Chryst, was hired as the next head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers. The only assistant coach to remain on the coaching staff after Andersen's departure was defensive coordinatorDave Aranda. Chryst brought over six coaching staff from theUniversity of Pittsburgh, Joe Rudolph (OC), John Settle (RB coach), Inoke Breckterfield (D-line), Chris Haering (special teams), Mickey Turner (TE coach) andRoss Kolodziej (strength and conditioning). From 2005 to 2011 Rudolph (TE coach) and Settle (RB coach) were assistant coaches under Chryst (OC). Mickey Turner and Ross Kolodziej are both former Badgers players, Turner was a tight end from 2006 to 2009 and Kolodziej was a defensive tackle from 1997 to 2000.^[16]

In Chryst's first season the Badgers went 10–3, finished the season ranked 20th in the nation, and finished 1st nationally in scoring defense (13.7 points per game) and 2nd in total defense (268.5 yards per game). All three losses came to teams that were in theAP top 25 at the end of the season, eventual national champions No. 1Alabama, No. 9Iowa and No. 23Northwestern. Chryst also won theHoliday Bowl againstUSC, whom the Badgers had a 0–6 record against before the game, with their last meeting being the1963 Rose Bowl. Two days after their victory over USC it was announced that the Badgers defensive coordinator, Dave Aranda, would be taking the same role for theLSU Tigers, whom the Badgers opened the 2016 season against atLambeau Field.

Aranda was replaced withJustin Wilcox, who was previously USC's defensive coordinator from 2014 to 2015, he was fired in early December 2015 after the Trojans finished 50th nationally in scoring defense (25.7 points per game) and 65th in total defense (400.8 yards per game).^[17] The Badgers started 2016 on a high note by upsetting the No. 5 ranked LSU Tigers 16–14 in their season opener atLambeau Field, the first ever major college football game in the historical stadium.^[18] The Badgers stayed in the AP top 10 for most of the season, with two losses to Michigan and Ohio State. Wisconsin lost the Big 10 championship game to Penn State, then won the2017 Cotton Bowl Classic over Western Michigan to finish 11–3, finishing the season ranked 8th in the nation. After the season, Wilcox left to take the head coaching job at Cal.

Wisconsin came into the 2017 season ranked No. 9 in the AP poll and was ranked in the top 10 all season. Undefeated during the regular season, the Badgers were ranked fourth in the nation before narrowly losing the Big 10 championship to Ohio State. Despite failing to reach the College Football Playoff, the Badgers rebounded to win the2017 Orange Bowl over Miami to finish the season with a 13–1 record, their best record since the 2007 season. Wisconsin was ranked as high as 3rd in the nation in week 14 in the AP poll and Coaches poll and received 10 first-place votes in the AP poll and 21 first-place votes in the Coaches poll. Wisconsin finished the season ranked 6th in the nation.

There were high expectations the next season as Wisconsin came into the 2018 campaign ranked No. 4 in the AP poll. However, injuries and inexperience, alongside poor quarterback play, derailed a promising season as the Badgers finished with a 7-5 regular-season record, including a loss to Minnesota, which resulted in Wisconsin losing Paul Bunyan's Axe for the first time since the 2003 season. The Badgers finished the season with a win in a rematch against Miami in the2018 Pinstripe Bowl to finish 8–5.

Wisconsin came into the 2019 season ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll and shut out 4 teams en route to a 10-2 finish in the regular season and won the Big Ten West, including games vs ranked Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota and were ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll going in the Big Ten Championship vs No. 1 Ohio State. Despite leading 21–7 at halftime, they ended up losing 34-21 and ended the season with a 28–27 loss vs Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin finished the season ranked 10th in the nation.

The2020 season was shortened and suffered setbacks as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic. The Big Ten, like most conferences, decided to cancel all non-conference games and play a shortened conference-only schedule. The Badgers also suffered from coronavirus-related postponements againstNebraska,Purdue, andMinnesota. As a result, the Nebraska and Purdue games were canceled. Wisconsin struggled to a 4–3 record, losing three games in a row to ranked opponents before finishing the season with a 20–17 overtime victory over Minnesota. The Badgers were invited to theDuke's Mayo Bowl againstWake Forest and won 42–28.

In 2021, the Badgers sought to rebound from their worst season of the Chryst era. However, Wisconsin started out cold, losing three of their first four games. Chryst's squad suffered home losses toPenn State andMichigan along with a road loss toNotre Dame, all ranked opponents. However, the Badgers would recover and win their next seven games including a 27–7 victory over the then-No. 9Iowa Hawkeyes. The Badgers lost Paul Bunyan's Axe toMinnesota before beatingArizona State in theLas Vegas Bowl 20–13, finishing the season with a 9–4 record and a 6-3 conference record. For the first time in the Chryst era, the Badgers finished consecutive seasons unranked in the AP or CFP polls.

For the 2022 season, Wisconsin started strong with a win over Illinois State in the season opener, but after an upset loss at home to Washington State, followed by blowout losses to Ohio State and Illinois, Paul Chryst was fired on October 2, two days after former Badgers coach Bret Bielema led the Illini to their first win in Madison since 2002. Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard became the interim coach and went 4-3 overall to finish the season 6-6, keeping Wisconsin's bowl streak alive. On December 27, Wisconsin beat Oklahoma State 24–17 in theGuaranteed Rate Bowl. It was their 8th bowl win in their last 9 bowl games, and it made Wisconsin finish 7-6, their 22nd straight winning season. It was initially thought that Leonhard would become the permanent replacement for Chryst, but after a loss at home to Minnesota, which was the first time the Badgers had lost consecutive games to their rival since 1993–94, it was decided that former Ohio State coordinator and University of Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell would be the next coach of the program.

On November 27, 2022, Luke Fickell was announced as the 31st head football coach for the Wisconsin Badgers.^[19][20][21]

• Independent (1889–1895)
• Big Ten Conference (1896–present)

Wisconsin has onenational championship from an NCAA-designated major selector for the 1942 season.^[22] However, the school does not claim this championship.^[23]

Wisconsin has won 14 conference championships, eight outright and six shared.^[25]

† Co-champions

Wisconsin has won 5 division championships.

The Badgers have appeared in 35 bowl games and have a record of 19 wins and 16 losses (19-16). Their most recent bowl game was in the2024 ReliaQuest Bowl. The Badgers have participated in a season-ending bowl game 21 consecutive seasons and snapped a four-game bowl losing streak with a 34–31 overtime victory overAuburn in the2015 Outback Bowl.^[15] They have won eight of the last ten bowl games, withPaul Chryst having won the first four bowls his team participated in and then falling one-point short in the2020 Rose Bowl. The Badgers have participated in a season-ending bowl game 22 consecutive seasons, the third longest bowl streak in the country only behind Georgia and Oklahoma.^[26]

Luke Fickell is now Wisconsin's head coach.^[19][20][21]

The UW-U of M series isthe nation's most-played rivalry in Division I FBS football and has been played continuously since 1907. Much prestige was always associated with the game, and its significance was emphasized with its place on the schedule. Between 1933 and 1982, the Wisconsin-Minnesota game was always the final regular-season contest for each school. The series took an added twist in 1948 when more than state bragging rights were on the line. After a 16-0 setback that season, the Wisconsin lettermen's group, the National 'W' Club, presented Minnesota with an axe wielded byPaul Bunyan. He was the mythical giant of Midwestern lumber camps. Each year since, the winner of the annual battle between the Big Ten rivals is presented withPaul Buynan's axe, complete with scores inscribed on the handle, for display on its campus. Wisconsin leads the series at 63-62-8.^[27]

Iowa and Wisconsin first met on the grid iron in 1894. In 2004, the rivalry recognized theHeartland Trophy, which is awarded to each season's winner. The trophy was designed and crafted by artist and former Iowa football playerFrank Strub. The trophy, which is a bull mounted on a walnut base (native to both Wisconsin and Iowa), has been inscribed with the scores of all games in the long-time series. WithBig Ten expansion, the Wisconsin and Iowa football teams were placed in separate divisions, thus ending their annual rivalry. However, with the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, Iowa and Wisconsin were placed back in the same division in 2014. Wisconsin leads the series at 49-46-2.

The Nebraska–Wisconsin football rivalry is an Americancollege footballrivalry between theNebraska Cornhuskers and Wisconsin. In 2012, the Badgers defeated Nebraska 70-31 in Indianapolis for theBig Ten Championship. Since 2014, the winner of the game has received theFreedom Trophy. Wisconsin leads the series 13–5.

This chart includes both the overall record the University of Wisconsin Badgers have with the all-time Big Ten members, as well as the matchups that counted in the Big Ten standings. Wisconsin has been a member of the Big Ten since its creation in 1896. Michigan rejoined the league in 1917 after leaving in 1906. Chicago withdrew after 1939, and then Michigan State (1953), Penn State (1993), and Nebraska (2011), Maryland and Rutgers (2014), Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington (2024) joined the Big Ten conference bringing the league total to 18 teams.(As of November 25, 2023)

All Data from The Wisconsin Football Fact Book^{[28][failed verification][when?]}

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The Fifth Quarter is a fan event that originated in 1969 and takes place following every Wisconsin home football game. During a 24-game losing streak (the longest in the school's history), athletic director Elroy Hirsch worked with theUniversity of Wisconsin Marching Band to create "the Fifth Quarter", where the band plays fan favorites such as "On, Wisconsin", "You’ve Said it All", and, at the end of the Fifth Quarter, "Varsity", the school's alma mater.

At home football games at theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison, students "Jump Around" to the song between the third and fourth quarters.^[29] The tradition grew out of the men's varsity swim team members playing it over a portable CD player and broadcasting via a smuggled-in megaphone to sections O and P during the games to rile up those sections.^{[citation needed]} This began in 1992, well before the official start.^{[citation needed]} In March 1997, at a Fraternity party atDelta Tau Delta at midnight the song was played with the football team and members of the future stadium employees and it became the midnight anthem for every party until the end of that year.^{[citation needed]} The tradition "officially" began on Saturday, October 10, 1998, at the Badgers Homecoming game against thePurdue Boilermakers.^[30] During a game in which no offensive points were scored in the third quarter, and with the Badgers en route to their second 6–0 start in the modern football era, a team official piped the song through the loudspeakers.^[31] It stirred up fans and players and eventually became a tradition.^[31]

On September 6, 2003 (the Badgers' first home game of the season), with the construction of skyboxes surroundingCamp Randall Stadium, UW officials decided to cancel the "Jump Around" due to worries about structural integrity. Stadium security and the local police department had been informed of this decision but no notification had been given to the fans.^[32] When news surfaced on Monday, September 8, that this event was not a technical or human malfunction, but rather a decision by campus officials, the students launched a protest. Petitions circulated and students pushed back against administration. Structural engineers confirmed that the stadium would suffer no structural damage caused by the vibrations created by jumping. Two days later, ChancellorJohn D. Wiley announced that the "Jump Around" tradition would resume.^[33] The song's title is displayed on unofficialWisconsin Badgers clothing and apparel, along with the credit/debit cards of the university'semployee/student/alumni credit union.

The Badgers have appeared onESPN'sCollege Game Day 18 times since 1999, with 3 bowl appearances. Wisconsin is 7–11 in games played when College GameDay has traveled to Badger games. Wisconsin has hosted the program 7 times. The most recent visit came in 2021 when UW played Notre Dame in Chicago. The Badgers have a 4–3 record when GameDay is on the Madison campus.

Note ‡-indicates NCAA FBS Record, †-indicates Big Ten Conference Record

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All Data from The 2019 Wisconsin Football Fact Book^[34]

• Most rushing attempts, career: 1220,Ron Dayne (1996–99)
• Most rushing attempts, season: 356,Montee Ball (2012)
• Most rushing attempts, game: 50,Ron Dayne (November 9, 1996, vs.Minnesota)
• Most rushing yards, career: 7,125,Ron Dayne (1996–99)^‡†
• Most rushing yards, season: 2,587,Melvin Gordon (2014)^†
• Most rushing yards, game: 408,Melvin Gordon (November 15, 2014, vs.Nebraska)^†
• Most rushing yards, single quarter: 189,Melvin Gordon (November 15, 2014, vs.Nebraska)
• Highest average yard per carry, career (min 300 att.): 7.8,Melvin Gordon (2011–14)
• Highest average yard per carry, season (min 100 att.): 7.81,Melvin Gordon (2013)
• Highest average yard per carry, game (min 10 att.): 19.5,Melvin Gordon (September 20, 2014, vs.Bowling Green)
• Most rushing touchdowns, career: 77,Montee Ball (2009-2012)^†
• Most rushing touchdowns, season: 33,Montee Ball (2011)^‡†
• Most rushing touchdowns, game: 5
  • Billy Marek (November 23, 1974, vs.Minnesota)
  • Anthony Davis (November 23, 2002, vs.Minnesota)
  • Brian Calhoun (September 3, 2005, vs.Bowling Green)
  • Brian Calhoun (October 29, 2005, vs.Illinois)
  • Melvin Gordon (September 20, 2014, vs.Bowling Green)
• Most games with at least 100 rushing yards, career: 33,Ron Dayne (1996–99)
• Most games with at least 100 rushing yards, season: 12,Melvin Gordon (2014)
• Most games with at least 200 rushing yards, career: 12,Jonathan Taylor (2017–19)
• Most games with at least 200 rushing yards, season: 6,Melvin Gordon (2014)

• Most passing attempts, career: 1,052,Darrell Bevell (1992–95)
• Most passing attempts, season: 333, Tyler Donovan (2007)
• Most passing attempts, game: 54,Randy Wright (November 5, 1983, vs.Iowa)
• Most passing completions, career: 646,Darrell Bevell (1992–95)
• Most passing completions, season: 225,Russell Wilson (2011)
• Most passing completions, game: 35,Darrell Bevell (November 18, 1995, vs.Iowa)
• Most passing yards, career: 7,686,Darrell Bevell (1992–95)
• Most passing yards, season: 3,175,Russell Wilson (2011)
• Most passing yards, game: 423,Darrell Bevell (October 23, 1993, vs.Minnesota)
• Highest completion percentage, career: 68.1 (410–602),Scott Tolzien (2008–10)
• Highest completion percentage, season: 72.9 (194–266),Scott Tolzien (2010)
• Highest completion percentage, game (min 10 att.): 95.2 (20–21),Graham Mertz (October 23, 2020, vs.Illinois)
• Most passing touchdowns, career: 59,Darrell Bevell (1992–95)
• Most passing touchdowns, season: 33,Russell Wilson (2011)
• Most passing touchdowns, game: 5,Darrell Bevell (September 4, 1993, vs.Nevada),Jim Sorgi (November 15, 2003, vs.Michigan State), andGraham Mertz (October 23, 2020, vsIllinois)
• Highest pass efficiency rating, career: 191.8,Russell Wilson (2011)^‡†
• Highest pass efficiency rating, season: 191.8,Russell Wilson (2011)^‡†
• Highest pass efficiency rating, game (min 15 att.): 296.68,John Stocco (September 30, 2006, vs.Indiana)
• Most games with at least 200 passing yards, career: 17,John Stocco (2003–06)
• Most games with at least 200 passing yards, season: 8,John Stocco (2005),Russell Wilson (2011)

• Most receptions, career: 202,Brandon Williams (2002–05) andJared Abbrederis (2009–13)
• Most receptions, season: 78,Jared Abbrederis (2013)
• Most receptions, game: 13, Matt Nyquist (November 18, 1995, vs.Iowa)
• Most receiving yards, career: 3,468,Lee Evans (1999–2003)
• Most receiving yards, season: 1,545,Lee Evans (2001)
• Most receiving yards, game: 258,Lee Evans (November 15, 2003, vs.Michigan State)
• Highest average yards per reception, career (min 50 rec.): 20.1,Tony Simmons (1994–97)
• Highest average yards per reception, season (min 30 rec.): 21.3,Larry Mialik (1970)
• Highest average yards per reception, game (min 3 rec.): 47.3,Larry Mialik (October 3, 1970, vs.Penn State Nittany Lions)
• Most touchdown receptions, career: 27,Lee Evans (1999–2003)
• Most touchdown receptions, season: 13,Lee Evans (2003)
• Most touchdown receptions, game: 5,Lee Evans (November 15, 2003, vs.Michigan State Spartans)
• Most consecutive games with a reception, career: 38,Lee Evans (1999–2003)

• Most points scored, career: 500,Montee Ball (2009–2012)^‡†
• Most points scored, season: 236,Montee Ball (2011)^‡†
• Most points scored, game: 30
  • Billy Marek (November 23, 1974, vs.Minnesota)
  • Anthony Davis (November 23, 2002, vs.Minnesota)
  • Lee Evans (November 15, 2003, vs.Michigan State)
  • Brian Calhoun (September 3, 2005, vs.Bowling Green and October 29, 2005, vs.Illinois)
  • P.J. Hill (September 15, 2007, vs.The Citadel)
  • Melvin Gordon (September 20, 2014, vs.Bowling Green)
• Most touchdowns scored, career: 83,Montee Ball (2009–2012)^‡†
• Most touchdowns scored, season: 39,Montee Ball (2011)^‡†
• Most touchdowns scored, game: 5
  • Billy Marek (November 23, 1974, vs.Minnesota)
  • Anthony Davis (November 23, 2002, vs.Minnesota)
  • Lee Evans (November 15, 2003, vs.Michigan State)
  • Brian Calhoun (September 3, 2005, vs.Bowling Green and October 29, 2005, vs.Illinois)
  • P.J. Hill (September 15, 2007, vs.The Citadel)
  • Melvin Gordon (September 20, 2014, vs.Bowling Green)
• Most extra points, career: 202, Philip Welch (2008–11)
• Most extra points, season: 67, Philip Welch (2010)
• Most extra points, game: 11, Philip Welch (November 13, 2010, vs.Indiana)
• Most field goals made, career: 65, Todd Gregoire (1984–87)
• Most field goals made, season: 22, Rich Thompson (1992)
• Most field goals made, game: 4
  • Vince Lamia (November 20, 1976, vs.Minnesota)
  • Todd Gregoire (December 29, 1984, vs.Kentucky and November 7, 1987, vs.Ohio State)
  • Rich Thompson (September 19, 1992, vs.Bowling Green and October 17, 1992, vs.Purdue)
  • Matt Davenport (November 7, 1998, vs.Minnesota)
  • Vitaly Pisetsky (October 23, 1999, vs.Michigan State)
  • Philip Welch (September 27, 2008, vs.Michigan)

• Most kickoff return yards, career: 3,025,David Gilreath (2007–10)
• Most kickoff return yards, season: 967,David Gilreath (2007)
• Most kickoff return yards, game: 201,Jared Abbrederis (January 2, 2012, vs.Oregon)
• Most kickoff return touchdowns, career: 2, Danny Crooks (1969–71),Ira Matthews (1975–78), andNick Davis (1998–2001)
• Most kickoff return touchdowns, season: 2,Ira Matthews (1976) andNick Davis (1999)
• Most kickoff return touchdowns, game: 1, (multiple players), most recent -Aron Cruickshank (January 1, 2020, vs. (Oregon)
• Highest average per kickoff return, career (min 30 ret.): 25.8,Jared Abbrederis (2010–13)
• Highest average per kickoff return, season (min 10 ret.): 29.6,Ira Matthews (1976)
• Highest average per kickoff return, game (min 3 ret.): 42.7, Selvie Washington (September 21, 1974, vs.Nebraska)
• Most punt return yards, career: 1,347,Jim Leonhard (2001–04)
• Most punt return yards, season: 470,Jim Leonhard (2003)
• Most punt return yards, game: 158,Earl Girard (November 8, 1947, vs.Iowa)
• Most punt return touchdowns, career: 4,Ira Matthews (1975–78)
• Most punt return touchdowns, season: 3,Ira Matthews (1978)
• Most punt return touchdowns, game: 2,Earl Girard (November 8, 1947, vs.Iowa)
• Highest average per punt return, career (min 25 ret.): 13.7,Brandon Williams (2002–05)
• Highest average per punt return, season (min 15 ret.): 16.9,Ira Matthews (1978)
• Highest average per punt return, game (min 3 ret.): 52.7,Earl Girard (November 8, 1947, vs.Iowa)

• Most interceptions, career: 21,Jamar Fletcher (1998–2000) andJim Leonhard (2001–04)
• Most interceptions, season: 11,Jim Leonhard (2002)
• Most interceptions, game: 4, Clarence Bratt (November 20, 1964, vs.Minnesota)
• Most interceptions returned for a touchdown, career: 5,Jamar Fletcher (1998–2000)
• Most interceptions returned for a touchdown, season: 3,Jamar Fletcher (1998)
• Most interceptions returned for a touchdown, game: 2, Bob Radcliffe (October 15, 1949, vs.Navy)
• Most tackles, career: 451,Pete Monty (1993–96)
• Most tackles, season: 181, Dave Lokanc (1972)
• Most tackles, game: 28, Dave Crossen (November 5, 1977, vs.Purdue)
• Most tackles for loss, career: 58,Tarek Saleh (1993–96)
• Most tackles for loss, season: 31,Tom Burke (1998)
• Most tackles for loss, game: 6.5,Alex Lewis (October 18, 2003, vs.Purdue)
• Most quarterback sacks, career: 33,Tarek Saleh (1993–96)
• Most quarterback sacks, season: 22,Tom Burke (1998)
• Most quarterback sacks, game: 6,Tim Jordan (October 19, 1985, vs.Northwestern)
• Most fumbles forced, career: 14,Chris Borland (2009–13)^‡†
• Most fumbles recovered, career: 9, Scott Erdmann (1975–78)
• Most fumbles recovered, season: 5, Ed Bosold (1972)
• Most fumbles recovered, game: 3,Michael Reid (November 16, 1985, vs.Ohio State)
• Most passes defended, career: 62,Mike Echols (1998–2001)
• Most passes defended, season: 25,Mike Echols (2000) andJim Leonhard (2002)
• Most passes defended, game: 6,Mike Echols (November 6, 1999, vs.Purdue)
• Most blocked kicks, career: 8,Richard Johnson (1982–84)
• Most blocked kicks, season: 6,Richard Johnson (1984)
• Most blocked kicks, game: 3,Richard Johnson (September 15, 1984, vs.Missouri)

Note ‡-indicates NCAA FBS Record, †-indicates Big Ten Conference Record

Notes

Beginning with George Little and Dave Schreiner in the 1955 class, the Badgers have had 16 former players and coaches inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame

Wisconsin has had 4 former players, graduates enshrined into thePro Football Hall of Fame.

The following players have been nominated for national awards. Players highlighted in yellow indicate winners:

List of Consensus All-Americans showing the year won, player and position^{[A 1]}

Source:^[54]

Announced schedules as of September 17, 2025.^[55]

On August 12, 2020, it was announced that Wisconsin would play versus theSouthern Illinois Salukis in 2027, a game rescheduled from 2020 due to theCOVID-19pandemic.^[56]

On January 8, 2021, it was announced that Wisconsin would play versus theColorado State Rams in 2026.^[57] On May 4, 2021, it was announced that the game would be moved to 2027.^[58]

On May 3, 2021, it was announced that Wisconsin would play a home and home series versus theUtah Utes in 2028 and 2033.^[59]

On June 7, 2021, it was announced that Wisconsin would play versus theNotre Dame Fighting Irish in 2026 atLambeau Field, a game rescheduled from 2020 due to theCOVID-19pandemic.^[60]

On November 21, 2023, it was announced that Wisconsin would play versus thePittsburgh Panthers in 2027 atAviva Stadium inIreland as part of theAer Lingus College Football Classic.^[61]

On March 26, 2024, it was announced that Wisconsin would play a home and home series versus theCalifornia Golden Bears in 2029 and 2030.^[62]

On September 17, 2025, it was announced that Wisconsin would play in theDuke's Mayo Classic versus theVirginia Tech Hokies in 2031 atBank of America Stadium inCharlotte, North Carolina.^[63]

██ P5 opponents and equivalents

source:^[64][65]

• Peter Bowden -Michigan Panthers
• Faion Hicks -Birmingham Stallions
• Olive Sagapolu -Houston Roughnecks

• Natrell Jamerson -Free agent

• Haney, Richard Carlton. "Canceled Due to Racism: The Wisconsin Badger Football Games against Louisiana State in 1957 and 1958".Wisconsin Magazine of History, vol. 92, no. 1 (Autumn 2008): 44–53.

• American football in the United States
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