Wisconsin basketball didn’t exactly get handed a dream Big Ten slate, but this one is a lot easier to live with than most.
That matters in a league where the schedule can turn into a weekly trapdoor. Wisconsin has spent enough time dealing with awkward breaks, brutal road swings and awkwardly timed marquee games to know the difference between a manageable draw and a headache. This year leans closer to manageable, and there are five clear reasons why.
The road slate is one of the biggest ones. Wisconsin avoids trips to Mackey and the Crisler Center, which immediately takes two of the league’s toughest buildings off the board.
The Badgers still have to deal with Northwestern on the road to start things off, and the list also includes Maryland, Rutgers, Minnesota and Ohio State. That’s a respectable set of road games.
The tougher away dates are still there - Iowa, Illinois, the LA schools, and Michigan State right before the Big Ten Tournament - but that’s as clean a road draw as Wisconsin is likely to get in this conference.
There’s also a real break in the home-road balance when it comes to the league’s most difficult venues. Wisconsin doesn’t have to go to Purdue, Nebraska or Michigan at all.
For a Greg Gard team that feels like a bit of a wildcard... then again, aren't they all? that’s a meaningful edge.
The double-play opponents also line up well for the Badgers. Every Big Ten team gets three opponents twice, and Wisconsin drew Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa.
On paper, that’s not just manageable - it’s a set of teams Wisconsin has handled well lately. Illinois has lost three straight to the Badgers.
Iowa has dropped three in a row and seven of the last eight. Minnesota has been even more lopsided, with Wisconsin winning 11 straight and 20 of the last 22.
The calendar around the holiday break isn’t perfect, but it’s workable. Games during that stretch can get weird fast when students are away, and Wisconsin’s home list in that window includes Illinois, Minnesota and Penn State. That’s not ideal, but it’s tolerable.
And then there’s the West Coast trip, which could have been much uglier. Wisconsin only has to deal with the Los Angeles schools - USC and UCLA - away from home, and it does so while students are on break. That’s about as clean as a Pacific Time Zone swing can get in the Big Ten.
For a conference that usually finds a way to make life difficult, this is a schedule Wisconsin can at least feel decent about.
In Other News...
Wisconsins 2027 Schedule Just Took An Unexpected Early-Season Turn
Wisconsins 2027 nonconference slate has already changed, with the Badgers and Colorado State mutually agreeing to cancel their scheduled meeting after the Rams sought more home games. In its place, Wisconsin is expected to add UMass, keeping the early part of that schedule in motion even before the season arrives.
The bigger picture still gives the Badgers a varied 2027 setup, starting with a season opener against Pittsburgh in Dublin and rolling into the familiar grind of Big Ten play. With the out-of-conference puzzle continuing to shift, Wisconsins upcoming itinerary is taking shape in a way that should give fans plenty to track long before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Johnny Davis May Finally Have A Path Back After NBA Setbacks
Johnny Davis is trying to rebuild his career far from the spotlight that once followed him into the NBA. The former top-10 draft pick never found much traction over his first three seasons, with modest production and little momentum, and after those struggles carried into short G League stops, he headed overseas in search of a fresh start.
His debut in Trkiye offered the kind of reset he needed, with a strong all-around performance that included 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. For Wisconsin fans who watched him rise into a lottery pick, the next chapter now feels more about proving he can steady himself long enough to create a real path back to the league. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces A Week 3 Threat Fans Should Not Overlook
Wisconsins early-season split has left the Badgers with room to clean things up before the schedule tightens, and Eastern Michigan offers a test that deserves more attention than a glance at the records. The Eagles come in at 1-2, but they have enough veteran pieces to make this a tricky Week 3 matchup, especially with quarterback Kim guiding the offense and a backfield that includes Blue and Bennett, two runners capable of creating problems if Wisconsin loses its discipline.
For the Badgers, the matchup is less about the standings than the specific stress points Eastern Michigan can create. Mowchan gives the Eagles a reliable presence on defense, and the mix of experience across the roster is what makes this one worth watching beyond the usual nonconference assumptions. Wisconsin should expect a physical game in which the details matter, and the danger is letting a seemingly manageable opponent turn the afternoon into something more complicated than it should be. [Read more 🡒]