Wisconsin enters the 2026 season with plenty of new faces, but the Badgers are still being treated like one of the Big Ten’s heavy hitters. In the league’s preseason poll, Wisconsin landed at No. 2, trailing only Nebraska, which was the unanimous choice for the top spot.
That puts the Badgers right in the thick of a conference race that should be packed at the top. Penn State checked in third, followed by Purdue and Minnesota to complete the top five.
The ranking comes after a strong 2025 campaign for Wisconsin, which finished 28-5 overall and 17-3 in Big Ten play. The Badgers then made a deep NCAA Tournament run all the way to the Final Four before falling to Kentucky. Mimi Colyer and Carter Booth were the headliners in that postseason push.
Even with a younger roster this time around, Wisconsin still has some proven pieces to anchor the transition. Junior setter Charlie Fuerbringer, who is back for her third season in Madison, and transfer Jaela Auguste were both named to the preseason All-Big Ten team.
Across the conference, 19 players made the list, with Nebraska and Purdue leading the way with three selections apiece. Wisconsin joined Oregon, Penn State, Indiana, USC, and UCLA with two honorees each.
The Badgers also got a first look at themselves in last week’s alumni game, and the alumni walked away with a 3-1 win. Wisconsin held a couple of players out or limited them for precautionary injury reasons, but freshman Audrey Flanagan still stood out with 17 kills, and transfer senior Eva Travis added 10.
Fuerbringer did her part as well, finishing with 35 assists and eight digs. On the other side, the alumni were paced by outside hitters Mimi Colyer, Sarah Franklin, and Temi Thomas-Ailara.
In Other News...
Wisconsin May Have Found A Passing Game Option Fans Didn't Expect
Wisconsins summer camp has started to offer a glimpse at a passing-game wrinkle the Badgers might not have expected when Jacob Harris arrived from Bowling Green. The transfer has been working through practices as a receiving option, and his combination of size and mobility has already made him noticeable in a room still taking shape as the offense sorts out who can help stretch the field and create matchup problems.
Harris has flashed enough in recent workouts to suggest the coaches may have more than a depth-piece on their hands, but the exact plan for him is still unsettled. What stands out so far is that Wisconsin keeps giving him opportunities near the goal line, a sign there could be a real role waiting if he keeps turning those chances into production. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Already Has A Response To Dilin Jones Rising At LSU
Wisconsins offseason roster churn sent 23 players into the transfer portal, and one of the more notable departures was running back Dilin Jones, who landed at LSU with a chance to carve out a bigger role. His early buzz in Baton Rouge has only added to the interest around that move, especially for a Badgers program that had to remake parts of its depth chart and could have been vulnerable at a spot where talent and durability matter.
Instead, Wisconsin has already answered by reinforcing the room with both transfers and recruits, giving the staff more options as it looks to move on from last years departures. The Badgers believe they have enough depth in place to absorb the loss, even as Jones works to push for a starting job at LSU, and that makes this one of those transfer storylines that could linger well beyond August. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin May Finally Have The Receiver Its Offense Has Been Missing
During a recent Wisconsin practice, Eugene Hilton turned in one of the sharper receiving performances of the day and gave the Badgers something their offense has been searching for. Working with quarterback Colton Joseph, Hilton repeatedly found ways to get open and flashed the kind of separation and ball skills that can change how a passing game is defended, especially for a team that still wants to lean heavily on the run.
The bigger takeaway is not that Wisconsin is suddenly turning into a pass-first attack, because it is not, but that the offense may finally have a receiver who can make the passing game more than just an occasional supplement. Hiltons ability to win in traffic and finish plays added a different layer to practice, and for a group looking for reliable targets, those glimpses carry real weight even if the run game remains the foundation. [Read more 🡒]