Wisconsin Badgers
Encyclopedia
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. This NCAA
Division I athletic program has team
s in football
, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country
, tennis
, swimming
, wrestling
, track and field
, rowing
, golf
, and softball
. The Badgers have several major on-campus facilities, including Camp Randall Stadium
, the UW Field House, and the Kohl Center
. They compete in the Big Ten Conference
in all sports except men's and women's ice hockey and crew. Ice hockey competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
and crew in the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges
(EARC).
The athletic director is Barry Alvarez
, former head coach of the football
team. The Badgers team colors are cardinal and white, and the team mascot is named "Buckingham U. Badger," known as "Bucky Badger
."
s burrow
ed into hillsides.http://www.uwbadgers.com/spiritsquad/bucky-badger.html
The badger mascot was adopted by the University of Wisconsin in 1889. His name, "Buckingham U. Badger", aka "Bucky Badger
," was chosen in a contest in 1949. http://www.uwbadgers.com/traditions/notables_120.html#bucky The emblem, a scowling, strutting badger wearing a cranberry-and-white striped sweater, was designed by Art Evans in 1940 and updated in 2003. A live badger from Eau Claire was used at the first few football games that year, but proved to be too fierce to be controlled and was retired to the nearby Henry Vilas Zoo
. For a time, the school replaced the live badger with a live raccoon named "Regdab" ("badger" backwards). In 2006, Bucky Badger was inducted as a charter member of the Mascot Hall of Fame's College Division, joining YoUDee
from Delaware
and Aubie
from Auburn
.
Wisconsin's football program has been among the most successful in the Big Ten
since the early 1990s, when Barry Alvarez
was hired as head coach. Under Alvarez, the Badgers won three Big Ten Championships and three Rose Bowls
. In the 2005 season, Alvarez's last year as coach, the Badgers defeated the Auburn Tigers
24-10, in the Capital One Bowl
. In 2006, Bret Bielema
took over as head coach, posting a 12-1 record and defeating Arkansas
17-14, in the Capital One Bowl. The Badgers are 11-10 in bowl games, and have made 14 bowl appearance in the past 15 seasons, including a school record seven straight appearances. http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/preview?gid=200701010036 The Badger football program has had two Heisman Trophy
winners: fullback Alan Ameche
in 1954, and running back Ron Dayne
in 1999.
The Wisconsin Badgers football
team plays its home games at Camp Randall Stadium
. Built in 1917, Camp Randall is the fourth-oldest college football stadium in the country and has a capacity of 80,321. The student section at Camp Randall is considered by many to be one of the best in all of college football. (http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3531112) Among the stadium traditions is a well-known student celebration to the House of Pain
song "Jump Around
," occurring at the end of the third quarter of every home game. The students also sing songs in unison including "Sweet Caroline
" and "(Build Me Up) Buttercup
" The University of Wisconsin Marching Band
performs its "Fifth Quarter" after every game.
Wisconsin has made it to the Final Four
twice in its history — most recently in 2000, and before that in 1941, when it won the National Championship. The Badgers have participated in the NCAA tournament
for the last 12 seasons (1999–2010). Wisconsin tied for first place in the Big Ten in the 2001-02 season, along with Indiana
, Illinois
, and Ohio State
. In 2002-03 the Badgers won the Big Ten outright, but then lost in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament
to Ohio State. In the NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin lost to Kentucky
in the Sweet 16. In 2003-04, Wisconsin finished second in the Big Ten. The team went on to win the program's first Big Ten Tournament title. However, the Badgers lost to 3rd-seeded Pittsburgh in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In the 2004-05 season Wisconsin finished third in the Big Ten. In the 2005 NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin advanced to the Elite Eight
by defeating 11th-seeded Northern Iowa
, 14th-seeded Bucknell
, and 10th-seeded North Carolina State. In 2005-06 the Badgers lost to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, and to Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The highlight of the season was a win over intrastate rival Marquette
.
In the 2006-07 season the Badgers had victories at Marquette and at home against 2nd ranked Pittsburgh. Its lone non-conference loss was against Missouri State
. On February 19, 2007, they earned their first No. 1 ranking in school history with a 26–2 record, but were defeated the next day by the unranked Michigan State Spartans
. Entering the Big 10 Tournament the second seed, their first game was against Michigan State, who the Badgers defeated 70–57. In the next round against Illinois, the Badgers won 53–41 and advanced to the final to face No. 1-ranked Ohio State. The Buckeyes defeated the Badgers 66–49. In the NCAA Tournament Wisconsin received a Number 2 seed in the Midwest bracket. The Badgers defeated Texas A&M Corpus-Christi. The second round of the tournament proved fatal for the Badgers, who lost to UNLV.
Dick Bennett
is largely credited with beginning the turnaround of the program. During his six-year tenure at Wisconsin (1995–2000), the Badgers achieved a 91-68 record and had two 20-win seasons. Only twice previously had the Badgers won at least 20 games in a season, the most recent being the 1940-41 championship season. Coach Bo Ryan
has been in charge since the 2001-02 season and has led the Badgers to the NCAA Tournament every year. During the 2006–07 season, he not only achieved his 500th win as a college coach but the Badgers were also ranked Number 1 in the AP Top for the first time in program history. On December 12, 2009, Ryan earned his 200th win with the Badgers (against 75 losses), defeating in-state rival Marquette.
Badgers currently in the NBA include Michael Finley
and Devin Harris
.
The Badgers play their home games at the 17,190-seat Kohl Center
, where they have one of the best home winning records in college basketball.
The Badger men won their sixth National Championship on April 8, 2006, at the Bradley Center
in Milwaukee, with a 2–1 victory over Boston College
. The men's team had previously won the National Championship in 1973, 1977, 1981, 1983, and 1990.
The Badger women won their first title on March 26, 2006, at Mariucci Arena
in Minneapolis, with a 3–0 victory over the defending champion Minnesota Golden Gophers. This was the first women's hockey national championship for Wisconsin and the first time that the NCAA Women's National Championship trophy left the state of Minnesota. (Minnesota-Duluth won the trophy in 2001, 2002, and 2003; Minnesota won it in 2004 and 2005.) The victory did, however, continue the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
's dominance of the women's crown. On March 18, 2007, the Badger women captured the back-to-back National Championship with a 4–1 win over Minnesota-Duluth at Herb Brooks Arena, in Lake Placid, New York. The Badgers returned to the National Championship game in 2008, but suffered a disappointing 4-0 loss at the hands of Minnesota-Duluth. In 2009, the Badgers became the first team in NCAA history to reach the title game in four consecutive seasons, winning their third National Championship with a 5-0 victory over Mercyhurst.
Mike Eaves
is the head coach of the men's hockey team, while Mark Johnson
coaches the women's hockey team. Both coaches were teammates on the Badgers' 1977 NCAA title team. Denver Pioneers
head coach George Gwozdecky
, the only other person besides Eaves and Johnson to win ice hockey national championships as both a player and head coach, was also a member of Wisconsin's 1977 national championship team.
Both the men and women play home games at the Kohl Center
in Madison
. The women's team is scheduled to move to the new LaBahn Arena, currently being built adjacent to the Kohl Center, beginning with the 2012-13 season.
Additionally, the men's and women's rowing programs have earned 30 non-NCAA national titles since 1900.
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. This NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I athletic program has team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
s in football
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
. The Badgers have several major on-campus facilities, including Camp Randall Stadium
Camp Randall Stadium
Camp Randall Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. It has been the home of the Wisconsin Badgers football team in rudimentary form since 1895, and as a complete stadium since 1917. It is located on the center-southern region of the University of Wisconsin campus. The stadium seats...
, the UW Field House, and the Kohl Center
Kohl Center
The Kohl Center is an arena and athletic center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, United States. The building, which opened in 1998, is the home of the university's men's and women's basketball and ice hockey teams. Seating capacity is variable, as the center can be rearranged to accommodate...
. They compete in the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
in all sports except men's and women's ice hockey and crew. Ice hockey competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
and crew in the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges
Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges
The Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges is a college athletic conference of eighteen men's college rowing crews. It is an affiliate of the Eastern College Athletic Conference .-Members:...
(EARC).
The athletic director is Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez is a former American football player and coach and currently the Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons from 1990 to 2005, compiling a career college football record of 118–73–4...
, former head coach of the football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team. The Badgers team colors are cardinal and white, and the team mascot is named "Buckingham U. Badger," known as "Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger is the official mascot of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His full name is Buckingham U. Badger and he attends all major sporting events for the Wisconsin Badgers as well as hundreds of other events around Wisconsin every year....
."
Team name origin
Wisconsin was dubbed the "Badger State" because of the lead miners who first settled there in the 1820s and 1830s. Without shelter in the winter, they had to "live like badgers" in tunnelTunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s burrow
Burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...
ed into hillsides.http://www.uwbadgers.com/spiritsquad/bucky-badger.html
The badger mascot was adopted by the University of Wisconsin in 1889. His name, "Buckingham U. Badger", aka "Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger is the official mascot of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His full name is Buckingham U. Badger and he attends all major sporting events for the Wisconsin Badgers as well as hundreds of other events around Wisconsin every year....
," was chosen in a contest in 1949. http://www.uwbadgers.com/traditions/notables_120.html#bucky The emblem, a scowling, strutting badger wearing a cranberry-and-white striped sweater, was designed by Art Evans in 1940 and updated in 2003. A live badger from Eau Claire was used at the first few football games that year, but proved to be too fierce to be controlled and was retired to the nearby Henry Vilas Zoo
Henry Vilas Zoo
Henry Vilas Zoo is a public zoo in Madison, Wisconsin, United States.The Henry Vilas Zoo receives over 500,000 visitors annually. It charges no admission or parking fees, and is one of a few free zoos in the world accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums...
. For a time, the school replaced the live badger with a live raccoon named "Regdab" ("badger" backwards). In 2006, Bucky Badger was inducted as a charter member of the Mascot Hall of Fame's College Division, joining YoUDee
YoUDee
YoUDee is the mascot of the University of Delaware. He is a "fighting Blue Hen" and is named after the state bird of Delaware. According to the University of Delaware, YoUDee's colors are Gold and Blue because his great-great-great-grandfather was awarded the Gold Medal for Valor during the...
from Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
and Aubie
Aubie
Aubie is Auburn University's award-winning costumed tiger mascot. Aubie has won a record six mascot national championships, more than any other mascot in the United States. Aubie was among the first three college mascots inducted to the Mascot Hall of Fame, inducted on August 15, 2006...
from Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
.
Football
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
since the early 1990s, when Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez is a former American football player and coach and currently the Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons from 1990 to 2005, compiling a career college football record of 118–73–4...
was hired as head coach. Under Alvarez, the Badgers won three Big Ten Championships and three Rose Bowls
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
. In the 2005 season, Alvarez's last year as coach, the Badgers defeated the Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers is the name given to Auburn University athletic teams. The University is a member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 19 varsity teams in 13 sports:* Men's sports** Baseball** Basketball...
24-10, in the Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
. In 2006, Bret Bielema
Bret Bielema
-Personal life:Bielema announced on April 1, 2011 that he was engaged to his girlfriend, Jen. The wedding is scheduled for spring 2012.-External links:* *...
took over as head coach, posting a 12-1 record and defeating Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
17-14, in the Capital One Bowl. The Badgers are 11-10 in bowl games, and have made 14 bowl appearance in the past 15 seasons, including a school record seven straight appearances. http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/preview?gid=200701010036 The Badger football program has had two Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winners: fullback Alan Ameche
Alan Ameche
Lino Dante "Alan" Ameche , nicknamed "The Horse", was an American football player who played six seasons with the Baltimore Colts in the National Football League after winning the Heisman Trophy in college at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He was elected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first...
in 1954, and running back Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne is a former American football running back who is currently a free agent. He holds the NCAA record for career rushing yards, and he won the 1999 Heisman Trophy.-Early life:...
in 1999.
The Wisconsin Badgers football
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
team plays its home games at Camp Randall Stadium
Camp Randall Stadium
Camp Randall Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. It has been the home of the Wisconsin Badgers football team in rudimentary form since 1895, and as a complete stadium since 1917. It is located on the center-southern region of the University of Wisconsin campus. The stadium seats...
. Built in 1917, Camp Randall is the fourth-oldest college football stadium in the country and has a capacity of 80,321. The student section at Camp Randall is considered by many to be one of the best in all of college football. (http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3531112) Among the stadium traditions is a well-known student celebration to the House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
song "Jump Around
Jump Around
"Jump Around" is the title of a song by the band House of Pain, produced by DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. This song became a hit in 1992, reaching Number 3 in the USA. A 1993 re-release of the song in the UK, where the original had been a minor hit, peaked at Number 8. On VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of...
," occurring at the end of the third quarter of every home game. The students also sing songs in unison including "Sweet Caroline
Sweet Caroline
"Sweet Caroline" is a pop song written and performed by Neil Diamond and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night album. There are three distinct mixes of this song...
" and "(Build Me Up) Buttercup
Build Me Up Buttercup
"Build Me Up Buttercup" is the name of a song written by Mike d'Abo and Tony Macaulay, and released by The Foundations with Colin Young singing the lead vocals in 1968. This was the third major hit for The Foundations. Colin Young replaced Clem Curtis in 1968 and this was the first Foundations hit...
" The University of Wisconsin Marching Band
University of Wisconsin Marching Band
The University of Wisconsin Marching Band is the marching band for the University of Wisconsin–Madison. It was formed with 11 members in the fall of 1885 to support the military battalion. Today, it has grown to over 300 members and performs at all Badger home football games.-History:The...
performs its "Fifth Quarter" after every game.
Men's basketball
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
twice in its history — most recently in 2000, and before that in 1941, when it won the National Championship. The Badgers have participated in the NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
for the last 12 seasons (1999–2010). Wisconsin tied for first place in the Big Ten in the 2001-02 season, along with Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the athletic teams for the Bloomington campus of Indiana University . Athletic teams sponsored by IU Bloomington include cross country, track, baseball, golf, tennis, rowing, volleyball, soccer, football and basketball...
, Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
, and Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
. In 2002-03 the Badgers won the Big Ten outright, but then lost in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament
Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament is held annually at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The tournament has been played each year since 1998. The winner of the tournament is designated the Big Ten Tournament Champion, and receives the conference's automatic...
to Ohio State. In the NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin lost to Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
in the Sweet 16. In 2003-04, Wisconsin finished second in the Big Ten. The team went on to win the program's first Big Ten Tournament title. However, the Badgers lost to 3rd-seeded Pittsburgh in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In the 2004-05 season Wisconsin finished third in the Big Ten. In the 2005 NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin advanced to the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
by defeating 11th-seeded Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa Panthers
The Northern Iowa Panthers are the athletic teams of the University of Northern Iowa. The university is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 15 varsity teams in 11 sports:...
, 14th-seeded Bucknell
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
, and 10th-seeded North Carolina State. In 2005-06 the Badgers lost to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, and to Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The highlight of the season was a win over intrastate rival Marquette
Marquette Golden Eagles
The Marquette Golden Eagles are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Marquette University....
.
In the 2006-07 season the Badgers had victories at Marquette and at home against 2nd ranked Pittsburgh. Its lone non-conference loss was against Missouri State
Missouri State Bears
The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University. Missouri State athletics date back to 1908. Missouri State is in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, and most teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
. On February 19, 2007, they earned their first No. 1 ranking in school history with a 26–2 record, but were defeated the next day by the unranked Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
. Entering the Big 10 Tournament the second seed, their first game was against Michigan State, who the Badgers defeated 70–57. In the next round against Illinois, the Badgers won 53–41 and advanced to the final to face No. 1-ranked Ohio State. The Buckeyes defeated the Badgers 66–49. In the NCAA Tournament Wisconsin received a Number 2 seed in the Midwest bracket. The Badgers defeated Texas A&M Corpus-Christi. The second round of the tournament proved fatal for the Badgers, who lost to UNLV.
Dick Bennett
Dick Bennett
Dick Bennett is an American college basketball coach who is best known for revitalizing the Wisconsin Badgers basketball program...
is largely credited with beginning the turnaround of the program. During his six-year tenure at Wisconsin (1995–2000), the Badgers achieved a 91-68 record and had two 20-win seasons. Only twice previously had the Badgers won at least 20 games in a season, the most recent being the 1940-41 championship season. Coach Bo Ryan
Bo Ryan
William "Bo" Francis Ryan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and current head coach of the University of Wisconsin–Madison men's basketball team.-Playing career:...
has been in charge since the 2001-02 season and has led the Badgers to the NCAA Tournament every year. During the 2006–07 season, he not only achieved his 500th win as a college coach but the Badgers were also ranked Number 1 in the AP Top for the first time in program history. On December 12, 2009, Ryan earned his 200th win with the Badgers (against 75 losses), defeating in-state rival Marquette.
Badgers currently in the NBA include Michael Finley
Michael Finley
Michael Howard Finley is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
and Devin Harris
Devin Harris
Devin Lamar Harris is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Harris attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison...
.
The Badgers play their home games at the 17,190-seat Kohl Center
Kohl Center
The Kohl Center is an arena and athletic center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, United States. The building, which opened in 1998, is the home of the university's men's and women's basketball and ice hockey teams. Seating capacity is variable, as the center can be rearranged to accommodate...
, where they have one of the best home winning records in college basketball.
Ice hockey
The Badgers made history in 2006 when both the men's and women's hockey teams were crowned NCAA Division I National Champions. This was the first time a Division I school has won both the men's and women's crowns in the same year.The Badger men won their sixth National Championship on April 8, 2006, at the Bradley Center
Bradley Center
The Bradley Center is an indoor arena, located on the northwest corner of North 4th and West State Streets, in Downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin....
in Milwaukee, with a 2–1 victory over Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. The men's team had previously won the National Championship in 1973, 1977, 1981, 1983, and 1990.
The Badger women won their first title on March 26, 2006, at Mariucci Arena
Mariucci Arena
Mariucci Arena is the home arena for the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team of the University of Minnesota. The arena is located on the Minneapolis campus and seats approximately 10,000 fans...
in Minneapolis, with a 3–0 victory over the defending champion Minnesota Golden Gophers. This was the first women's hockey national championship for Wisconsin and the first time that the NCAA Women's National Championship trophy left the state of Minnesota. (Minnesota-Duluth won the trophy in 2001, 2002, and 2003; Minnesota won it in 2004 and 2005.) The victory did, however, continue the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
's dominance of the women's crown. On March 18, 2007, the Badger women captured the back-to-back National Championship with a 4–1 win over Minnesota-Duluth at Herb Brooks Arena, in Lake Placid, New York. The Badgers returned to the National Championship game in 2008, but suffered a disappointing 4-0 loss at the hands of Minnesota-Duluth. In 2009, the Badgers became the first team in NCAA history to reach the title game in four consecutive seasons, winning their third National Championship with a 5-0 victory over Mercyhurst.
Mike Eaves
Mike Eaves
Michael Gordon Eaves is an American former NHL player and the current head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers Men's Ice Hockey team. Eaves appeared in 324 NHL regular season games between 1978 and 1985, and has coached since 1985...
is the head coach of the men's hockey team, while Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson (hockey player)
Mark "Magic" Johnson is a current ice hockey coach and former United States ice hockey player who appeared in 669 NHL regular season games between 1980 and 1990 after playing for the Gold medal winning 1980 US Olympic Hockey team...
coaches the women's hockey team. Both coaches were teammates on the Badgers' 1977 NCAA title team. Denver Pioneers
Denver Pioneers
The Denver Pioneers are the sports teams of the University of Denver. They play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, with most teams participating in the Sun Belt Conference. The Western Athletic Conference will become Denver's primary sports conference on July 1, 2012.The...
head coach George Gwozdecky
George Gwozdecky
George Gwozdecky is an ice hockey coach who is currently the head coach for the University of Denver Pioneers hockey team. The Pioneers have won 2 national championships under his guidance...
, the only other person besides Eaves and Johnson to win ice hockey national championships as both a player and head coach, was also a member of Wisconsin's 1977 national championship team.
Both the men and women play home games at the Kohl Center
Kohl Center
The Kohl Center is an arena and athletic center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, United States. The building, which opened in 1998, is the home of the university's men's and women's basketball and ice hockey teams. Seating capacity is variable, as the center can be rearranged to accommodate...
in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. The women's team is scheduled to move to the new LaBahn Arena, currently being built adjacent to the Kohl Center, beginning with the 2012-13 season.
National championships
To date, the University of Wisconsin–Madison has won 29 NCAA national championships:- BoxingNCAA Boxing ChampionshipThe following is a list of NCAA Team Champions in Boxing. The National Collegiate Athletic Association discontinued the boxing championship after 1960; however in 1976, American collegiate boxing was picked up again by the National Collegiate Boxing Association....
: 1939, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1952, 1954, 1956 - Men's basketballNCAA Men's Division I Basketball ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
: 1941 - Men's cross country: 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 2005, 2011
- Women's cross countryNCAA Women's Cross Country ChampionshipEach autumn, beginning in 1981, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has hosted women's cross country championships for each of its three divisions...
: 1984, 1985 - Men's ice hockeyNCAA Men's Ice Hockey ChampionshipThe annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known...
: 1973, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1990, 2006 - Women's ice hockeyNCAA Women's Ice Hockey ChampionshipThe annual NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship tournaments determine the top women's ice hockey teams in NCAA Division I and Division III. Women's ice hockey does not have a Division II classification. Under NCAA rules, Division II schools are allowed to compete as Division I members in sports...
: 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 - Men's indoor track & fieldNCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field ChampionshipNCAA team champions for Men's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*Pre-NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champions...
: 2007 - Men's soccerNCAA Men's Soccer ChampionshipThe NCAA began conducting a Men's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams...
: 1995
Additionally, the men's and women's rowing programs have earned 30 non-NCAA national titles since 1900.
Trademark dispute
The University of Wisconsin has been involved in disputes with a number of high schools, including ones in Iowa, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and West Virginia, for trademark infringement. The issue involved the use of the Badger's athletic logo, the "motion W". As a result of the litigation, the high schools involved were required to change their logos.See also
- University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
- Wisconsin Badgers men's basketballWisconsin Badgers men's basketballThe Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the Kohl Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin....
- Wisconsin Badgers women's basketballWisconsin Badgers women's basketballThe Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the Kohl Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin...
- Wisconsin Badgers CrewWisconsin Badgers CrewThe Wisconsin Badgers Crew is the rowing team that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Rowing at the University dates back to 1874.The women's openweight team is a NCAA Division I team...
- Wisconsin Badgers footballWisconsin Badgers footballThe Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
- Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockeyWisconsin Badgers men's ice hockeyThe Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. The team plays at the Kohl Center and is coached by former Badger and NHL player Mike Eaves...
- Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockeyWisconsin Badgers women's ice hockeyThe Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey team is the hockey team that represents the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin.-History:On October 8, 1999, the Bulldogs played the Wisconsin Badgers in the first ever Women's WCHA conference game at the Kohl Center in Madison, WI...