The Wisconsin Badgers, who represent the Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin, began playing college football in 1889. While their name does stem from the iconic black and white striped rodents who inhabit burrows throughout the nature-rich state of Wisconsin, it does so indirectly, being based on early miners who came to Wisconsin in the 1820s and were forced to live underground at first “like badgers” to survive the harsh winters. The Badgers were the first team to win the Big Ten Conference when it was formed in 1896 and were one of the stronger teams in the conference in the 1950s. After many years of struggling on and off the field, the Badgers gradually emerged again in the 1990s under the leadership of head coach Barry Alvarez, who revolutionized the school’s recruitment program, even encouraging walk-ons to try out for the team as well, thus unearthing several diamonds in the rough. Alvarez’s dedication paid dividends in the 1990s and early 2000s, with the team having several excellent seasons and winning the Rose Bowl on three occasions, as well as several other Bowl victories. In the years since, the Badgers have become one of the best teams in the Big Ten Conference, regularly finishing in the top three and winning several conference and division (West Division) titles. Their recent record in Bowl games has varied, however, with victories in the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl, but four defeats in their last four Rose Bowl appearances. Two Heisman Trophy winners have suited up for the Badgers, Alan Ameche in 1954 and Ron Dayne in 1999, and the program boasts a long list of alumni who went on to star in the NFL. The Badgers are also known for their rabidly devoted fans, who flood the stands with a sea of red clothing, sing “On, Wisconsin” at the tops of their lungs, bounce along to the strains of “Jump Around,” and even stay on for an extra half hour after home games for the “Fifth Quarter” tradition, where the marching band leads the crowd in song (win or lose). Tailgating is an institution in Madison as well, with fans of the team driving in from all over the state to partake of weekend festivities when the Badgers are in town. 

Wisconsin Badgers Rivalries

The Wisconsin Badgers are, along with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, one half of the all-rodent Minnesota-Wisconsin college football rivalry, which dates back to 1890 and has seen more meetings (127, to date) between the two than any other pair of teams in American college football. That first encounter ended rather poorly for the Badgers, who lost 63-0, still the worst loss in the team’s history, but Wisconsin now holds a (very) narrow edge in the overall record, at 63-62-8. Ever since 1948, the winner of the game each year gets to hold onto a “replica” of the mythical giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan’s mighty ax as a trophy. The Badgers also have a long-standing rivalry with the Iowa Hawkeyes, and have recently been put back into the same division, thus reigniting hostilities. Badgers fans also love to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines.

Finding Wisconsin Badgers Football Tickets

As the most popular college football team in football-mad Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Badgers pull in plenty of fans not only from the university and town of Madison, but from surrounding areas and all over the state. As much as they love the football itself, fans also come to soak up the game day (or weekend) atmosphere, with many alumni of the university enjoying it as a way to relive their youth and connect with old friends from time to time. This makes for a wonderful experience but also means that tickets to Badgers games can be hard to come by, especially for Bowl games, championship or conference deciders, or matches against their closest rivals (especially Minnesota and Iowa). To find the most affordable tickets to every Wisconsin Badgers football game, head to our official listings on TicketX and use the handy stadium seating chart to find options that best suit your price range and seat preferences.