Basketball season is still under two months away, but Wisconsin already knows what the Big Ten road looks like next year.
The conference released its full 2026-27 schedule, and the Badgers will play 20 league games. That means three opponents will get the double-dip treatment, with Wisconsin lining up two meetings each against Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois.
The league slate starts early for the Badgers. They open Big Ten play on December 1 at Northwestern, then come back home on December 8 to face Purdue after their annual Marquette game. Those are the only conference games on the calendar before January hits and the rest of the schedule rolls in.
From there, Wisconsin’s month-by-month path is set:
December 1: at Northwestern
December 8: vs. Purdue
January 2: vs. Illinois
January 6: at Iowa
January 9: vs.
Minnesota
January 13: vs.
Penn State
January 16: at USC
January 19: at UCLA
January 23: vs.
Washington
January 26: at Maryland
January 31: at Minnesota
February 3: vs. Oregon
February 6: vs. Michigan
February 9: at Ohio State
February 13: at Rutgers
February 19: vs. Indiana
February 24: vs. Iowa
February 28: at Illinois
March 3: vs. Nebraska
March 6: at Michigan State
A few stretches jump off the page. The back end of the season looks especially rugged, with Wisconsin closing against Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Michigan State in alternating home-and-road games.
There’s also no long slog of three straight home games or three straight road games anywhere on the slate. On top of that, the East Coast portion of the schedule is neatly packed together, with five- and six-day breaks after trips to Maryland and Rutgers.
As for the road work, Wisconsin gets some heavy ones: Michigan State, UCLA, and Illinois away from home. At the Kohl Center, the Badgers will host Nebraska, Michigan, Purdue, and Illinois.
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Wisconsin Fans Have A New Fear About RB Commit Kingston Allen
Kingston Allens start at Notre Dame Academy has been impossible to ignore, and Wisconsin fans have every reason to keep checking in on the state of the running back commit. Through just five games, the high school standout has piled up more than 1,400 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns, production that would draw attention anywhere and usually brings a fresh wave of recruiting interest along with it.
Instead, Allen is still sitting on only five college offers, and he has not picked up any new ones this season. That combination has sparked a familiar anxiety around Badgers recruiting, where a late surge from a talented prospect can invite new suitors even when he is already committed, leaving Wisconsin supporters watching closely for any sign that the situation might change. [Read more 🡒]
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For Wisconsin, the concern is less about the commitment itself than the distance that now comes with it. Having Brown in Arizona makes it harder for the staff to keep a close eye on his development day to day, turning what had been a more manageable in-state or nearby recruitment into something more remote as the program tries to hold together one of its best early classes. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Needs More Than Just A Win Before Big Ten Play
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The bigger issue for the Badgers may be whether they can turn those opportunities into real momentum. Colton Josephs accuracy has been a concern, and Wisconsin has yet to create much disruption in the takeaway game, which leaves the defense and offense alike looking for cleaner signs of progress. A win would help the record, but this is the kind of week when the Badgers need more than just a result to feel ready for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]