Category: Wisconsin Badgers

How to buy Wisconsin vs. Alabama Week 3 college football tickets

Want to watch the Wisconsin Badgers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide in person on Saturday, Sept. 14? Tickets still remain for as little as $154.

The Wisconsin Badgers will host the Alabama Crimson Tide in Madison on Saturday for a Week 3 matchup between the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten, and if you are looking for tickets to the game you have come to the right place.

The Badgers are 2-0 after a Week 1 win over the Western Michigan Broncos and a Week 2 victory over the South Dakota Coyotes — both at home. Wisconsin is not ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll but did receive 28 votes on Sunday.

The Crimson Tide triumphed over the Western Kentucky Big Red and the South Florida Bulls, respectively, to also start the 2024 campaign at 2-0. ‘Bama comes in fourth and the third-highest-ranked SEC team this week in the Coaches Poll.

Wisconsin will host Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 14 at noon ET.

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How to buy Wisconsin vs Alabama football tickets

The battle between ‘Bama and Badgers should be a good one, despite the differential in the rankings. Wisconsin will be playing on its home turf while the Tide have shown some cracks in recent years after a lengthy dynasty run last decade.

At the time of publication, the cheapest available tickets for the Badgers vs Crimson Tide are $154.

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Where Wisconsin women’s soccer lands in preseason polls

Where Wisconsin women’s soccer lands in preseason polls

Wisconsin’s women’s soccer was ranked No. 6 in the Big Ten and No. 19 in the nation in preseason polls this week.

The Badgers learned of their conference nomination on Tuesday, a day before their United Soccer Coaches’ national ranking.

Wisconsin landed behind only UCLA (No. 1), Penn State (No. 2), Michigan State (No. 3), Nebraska (No. 4) and USC (No. 5). Rutgers (No. 7), Iowa (No. 8), Ohio State (No. 9) and Indiana (No. 10) rounded the conference’s preseason top 10.

Three Badgers were also listed among Big Ten players to watch: Hailey Baumann, Maddie Ishaug and Aryssa Mahart. Baumann will enter her second season with UW after helping anchor its defensive, Ishaug will look to build off her team-leading 2,068-minute total in 2024 and Mahart aims to continue her offensive tear (25 shots on goal, seven assists) during her third season in Madison.

The Badgers registered an overall record of 14-5-7 in 2023 and fell to Iowa in the Big Ten title game. UW officially begins its season on the road against No. 3 BYU on Thursday, Aug. 15.

Former Wisconsin Badgers multi-sport athlete wins bronze medal in Olympic rugby

Former Wisconsin Badgers multi-sport athlete wins Bronze medal in rugby

The U.S. women’s rugby team defeated Australia 14-12 in the bronze-medal match at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, capturing the nation’s their first ever rugby sevens medal. Part of the winning squad was former Wisconsin Badgers women’s soccer and women’s hockey player Alev Kelter.

Kelter was a member of the United States women’s national under-16 soccer team and the United States women’s national under-18 ice hockey team prior to arriving in Madison in 2009.

While at Wisconsin, she excelled at both sports for four years, earning All-Big Ten honors in soccer in both 2009 and 2010 while scoring 17 goals in her time as a defender with the women’s hockey team.

Kelter made the switch to rugby after college and she’s appeared the Summer Olympics, the Pan American Games and Women’s Rugby World Cup, amongst other events in her career.

Kelter is just another example of the long list of fantastic athletes who have played for the Badgers and gone on to do spectacular things.

UW-Madison inks new five-year deal with athletic director Chris McIntosh

Wisconsin inks new five-year deal with Director of Athletics

The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced on Thursday that athletic director Chris McIntosh has signed a five-year contract extension to remain in that role until at least 2029.

McIntosh replaced the legendary former football coach Barry Alvarez as the Director of Athletics in 2021 after spending time both as an athlete and as a deputy athletic director under his guidance.

“The college athletics landscape is changing quickly,” McIntosh said in a news release. “I am committed to helping our student-athletes achieve both academic and athletic success in this new environment. Along with our administrative team, coaches and staff, I look forward to tackling the challenges ahead and creating more opportunities for success.”

The former offensive lineman was a member of the Wisconsin football team from 1996-1999, playing in both the 1999 and 2000 Rose Bowls. He went on to be selected in first round of the 2000 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks.

McIntosh returned to the university in 2014 as a member of the athletic department, working up to his current role over the years.

In his time as Director of Athletics, McIntosh has proven to be a determined and willing decision-maker, letting go long-time head coaches Paul Chryst (football) and Tony Granato (men’s hockey), replacing them with Luke Fickell and Mike Hastings respectively.

Additionally, he has been at the helm of the athletic programs as collegiate sports entered into the uncertain future of NIL, as well as the Big Ten expanding to 18 teams in 2024.

McIntosh’s extension includes a raise to $1.45 million per year, up from $1 million. That number is set to increase by $50,000 annually, as reported by USA TODAY’s Steve Berkowitz.

Wisconsin Athletics reveals new courtside seating options in Kohl Center

Wisconsin Athletics reveals new courtside seating options in Kohl Center

Wisconsin Athletics displayed renderings for new courtside seating options at the Kohl Center in a press release Tuesday.

The construction will be completed in time for the 2024-25 basketball season.

Located adjacent to the rink and hardwood, visuals depict a few extra rows of seating for Badger fans next season. These seats will be located on each side of the ice sheet at the event level of the Kohl Center, per UW Athletics.

“These upgrades will help to create an exciting, new fan experience and drive additional revenue that will support Badger student-athletes across our 23 sport programs,” UW Director of Athletics Chris McIntosh told UWBadgers.com

The renovation will also include high-quality seating surfaces and access to the Krantz Club, an event-level club space, starting in January. Other amenities include parking priorities, inclusive food and drink services and a cash bar.

The renovation arrives shortly after the Kohl Center’s ice sheet dimensions were reduced to NHL proportions in February. This ultimately created extra space between the event level and the playing fields.

Wisconsin’s Kohl Center is home to the both the men’s and women’s basketball teams and men’s hockey team.

Wisconsin Badgers soccer legend headed to Paris Summer Olympics

Wisconsin Badgers soccer legend headed to Paris Summer Olympics

Former Wisconsin Badgers women’s soccer superstar Rose Lavelle was named to the U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer team. She will help lead the team in the 2024 Summer Olympics, which begin in Paris, France on July 26

Lavelle spent four seasons with Wisconsin from 2013-2016, becoming an instant star in her freshman season, winning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. She was then selected for an All-America team in each of her final three campaigns in 2014 through 2016.

The 29-year-old athlete will be making her second appearance in the Olympics after playing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — which was delayed to July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lavelle appeared in all six games during the tournament, scoring a goal as the U.S. went on to beat Australia in the bronze medal game.

During the 2024 NWSL season with Gotham FC, Lavelle has racked up three goals while appearing in 10 contests, including six starts. Across seven seasons in the NWSL, the midfielder has 12 total goals.

Lavelle and the U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer team are looking for their first Olympic gold medal since 2012 after losing in the quarterfinals in 2016 and finishing third in 2021.

Multiple Wisconsin Badgers make PFF’s returning Big Ten edge rusher ranking

Multiple Wisconsin Badgers make PFF’s Big Ten edge-rusher ranking

Wisconsin linebackers/edge-rushers John Pius and Darryl Peterson received top-five rankings in ProFootballFocus’ recent list of the highest-graded returning Big Ten edge rushers.

Pius was No. 2 overall with a PFF grade of 85.1 last season at William & Mary. Peterson, meanwhile, was No. 5 with a grade of 80.7 with the Badgers Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer, Michigan’s Josiah Stewart and Maryland’s Donnell Brown were ranked No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.

Pius was a significant piece of Wisconsin’s 2024 transfer portal class. The 6-foot-4, 244-pound edge departed William & Mary ranked second in program history in career tackles for loss (40.5) and fifth in career sacks (24.5).

The Arlington, Virginia native was also the only FCS player on the Butkus Award Watch List, earned an All-America First Team bid and wound up on the Senior Bowl Watch List. 247Sports had Pius as a four-star transfer recruit and the No. 16 edge rusher in the portal this winter.

Peterson, on the other hand, has suited up for UW from 2021-2023. Over the past two seasons, the Akron, Ohio product logged 13 starts in 26 overall appearances at OLB.

 

The 2023 Academic All-Big Ten team member led the Badgers with 4.5 sacks and posted a career-best 47 tackles for UW as a redshirt junior.

Wisconsin’s defensive unit enters 2024 with a preseason SP+ Rating of 13.8, the seventh-highest in the nation. With four new squads slated to join the conference this fall, UW’s defensive front will need to perform at a high clip.

Former Wisconsin quarterback one of the top 2025 NFL draft QB prospects

What would your reaction be to Graham Mertz getting drafted?

Former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz was ranked No, 4 overall in ProFootballFocus’ recent ranking of the 2025 NFL draft’s top 10 quarterback prospects.

The ranking came from PFF lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema. It listed the former Badgers along with Texas A&M’s Connor Weigman, Georgia’s Carson Beck, Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders, Kansas’ Jalon Daniels, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Houston’s Donovan Smith and Arizona’s Noah Fifita.

Related: Ranking the highest rated recruits in the history of Wisconsin football

Mertz is entering his second season with the Florida Gators after transferring from Wisconsin at the end of the 2022 season. His 2023 campaign in Gainesville included 2,903 passing yards and 20 touchdowns over 11.

Unfortunately for Mertz, he suffered a broken collarbone toward the end of the year and missed the team’s regular season finale against Florida State. The Gators finished the year with a 5-7 overall record.

The Overland Park, Kansas native will likely finish his collegiate career after the 2024-25 season, which will be his sixth at the NCAA Division I level.

Mertz started 32 games at quarterback for the Badgers from 2020-2022 and left Madison his with a 19-13 overall record as a starter, tied for sixth-best in program history.

Wisconsin graduate transfer Tyler Van Dyke (Miami-FL) is poised to start for UW this fall with redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke projected to play second fiddle. This will be offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s second season with the Badgers employing an air raid-style offense.

It will be worth monitoring how Mertz’s production compares to Van Dyke once the season kicks off this fall.

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University of Wisconsin announces 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame class

University of Wisconsin announces 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame class

The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced its Athletic Hall of Fame’s class of 2024 on Wednesday, with 12 new members set to be added at the induction ceremony on September 6.

There are nine athletes from the contemporary era (after 1974) being welcomed into the hall of fame:

Two former Badgers football defensive players Tarek Saleh (1993-1996) and Donnel Thompson (1996-1999) will be inducted. Saleh is the program’s all-time leader in sacks (33) while Thompson won back-to-back Rose Bowls in 1999 and 2000.

Next, Adam Burish was a member of the men’s hockey team from 2002-2006, most notably serving as the captain of Wisconsin’s 2006 NCAA Championship team.

Two-time gold medalist and former Badgers women’s hockey player (2004-2007) Meaghan (Mikkelson) Reid will be inducted, while former goaltender Alex Rigsby Cavallini (2010-2014) also got the call.

Mark Laporte (Soccer, 1979-1982), Gina Panighetti (Swimming, 1996-2000), Marja Neubauer (Tennis, 1990-1994) and James Dunkleberger (Track & Field, 1994-1997) rounded out the nine athletes from the contemporary era.

Men’s hockey player John Jagger (1967-1971) was the lone heritage era athlete to be chosen while former women’s volleyball head coach Pete Waite and the legendary Herb Kohl will also be inducted.

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Wisconsin football offers three-star class of 2026 LB

Wisconsin football offers three-star class of 2026 LB

Wisconsin football extended an offer to three-star class of 2026 linebacker Dallas Brannon on Tuesday. 

Rivals and On3 have Brannon as a three-star recruit. His teammate at Independence High School, Nick Reddish also received an offer from the Badgers today.

The Charlotte, North Carolina native already holds offers from 20 schools including Miami (Florida), North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, South Carolina, USC, Michigan, Ole Miss and Wisconsin. 

On3’s industry ranking has Brannon as the No. 35 linebacker, No. 15 recruit from North Carolina and No. 464 recruit nationally for the class of 2026. He currently stands at 6’2,’’ 207 pounds and has two years of high school remaining before he can jump to the collegiate level. 

His first gridiron offers arrived in May 2023. Miami (Florida), West Virginia, Missouri and Virginia Tech were the first to extend offers until the other programs offered throughout 2023-24.

247Sports’ crystal ball does not have a prediction for where Brannon will land.

Wisconsin has offered several 2026 recruits, including Damon Ferguson, Evan Jacobson and Brayden Trimble, Kaleb Woods, Jarin Mock and Nick Reddish over the past week.

Fellow Wisconsin target Elliot Schaper is scheduled to visit UW in early June. Brannon has yet to put UW on his official visit timetable.