Wisconsin’s non-conference schedule for 2026-27 keeps taking shape, and the latest addition brings a Mountain West test to the Kohl Center.
The Badgers will host Colorado State on December 30th, according to recent reports from Rocco Miller of The Field of 68 and Jordon Lawrenz of Badgers Wire. It will be a first-time regular-season meeting between the programs, giving Wisconsin another notable matchup before conference play heats up.
Colorado State arrives with some recent success in the non-conference spotlight, even if last season didn’t end the way the Rams wanted. They finished 21-13 a year ago and were bounced in the first round of the NIT. Their conference tournament run ended with a 71-62 loss to San Diego State, a result that shut the door on their NCAA Tournament hopes.
This is also the second major non-conference opponent Wisconsin has locked in recently. Last month, the Badgers confirmed a meeting with Auburn on December 19th at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
For Wisconsin, the Colorado State game looks like the kind of early test that can reveal a lot. The Rams have knocked off a non-conference power opponent in each of the last five seasons, even though their overall play hasn’t always matched that level of punch.
Colorado State’s roster looks different heading into next season, though, and not in a way that makes the transition easier. Leading scorer Brandon Rechsteiner, the team’s top perimeter scoring threat, transferred to Kansas State after originally coming to the Rams from Virginia Tech. He was a central piece of the offense, and replacing that kind of production won’t be simple.
That leaves Kyle Jorgensen and Carey Booth as the key returning pieces for Colorado State. The forward duo started to find its best form late last season, and both will head into next year with something to prove.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Just Raised The Stakes For Luke Fickell
Luke Fickells time in Madison has already become a topic of conversation because the results have been uneven enough to leave questions hanging over his long-term future. Wisconsins recent hire of Shawn Eichorst as athletic director only adds another layer to that discussion, since Eichorst arrives with a reputation shaped by past coaching decisions and a history that makes people around the program pay attention when the subject turns to change.
Eichorsts background is part of why this feels different from a standard reset. He has already shown he is willing to make a bold move when he thinks it is necessary, and Wisconsin fans know that kind of leadership can cut both ways. For Fickell, the next stretch matters not just because the Badgers need better play on the field, but because the new AD is now the one who may eventually be weighing how much patience this era deserves. [Read more 🡒]
Eric Fletcher Jr. Could Change Wisconsin's Cornerback Conversation
Wisconsins secondary has spent much of the offseason looking for a corner who can bring both speed and a little bit of proven playmaking, and Eric Fletcher Jr. fits that search as well as anyone. The redshirt sophomore arrives from Oklahoma State with the kind of athletic profile the Badgers can build around, plus enough game experience to suggest he is more than just a developmental flier.
Fletchers past production shows why there is real interest here, with nine solo tackles and three pass breakups last season, and the next step is turning that promise into a steady role. He is expected to push for rotational snaps right away, and if the early signs carry over, Wisconsin may have found a defender who can change the conversation at cornerback before long. [Read more 🡒]
What Wisconsin Might Really Have In Malachi Coleman
Malachi Coleman arrives at Wisconsin with the kind of profile that still makes coaches pause and imagine what might be possible. The 6-foot-5 receiver was a highly regarded recruit in 2023, and after stops at Nebraska and Minnesota, he gives the Badgers a different body type in a room that can always use more size. Even without a big breakthrough at his previous Big Ten stops, there is a clear appeal in a player who can bring length, physicality and a little more margin for error near the goal line.
For Wisconsin, the question is less about whether Coleman has talent and more about how quickly that talent can turn into a defined role. He looks the part of a rotational option rather than an every-down fixture, and the most natural path is as a bigger target in tight spaces, where contested catches matter more than separation. If he can carve out those snaps, he could become one of those useful pieces that quietly matter in a season, but the Badgers still have to find a way to make the opportunity real. [Read more 🡒]