Wisconsin’s 2026-27 non-conference slate is loaded with variety, and it starts before the regular season even gets rolling.
The Badgers will open with three exhibition games, beginning with UW-Parkside at the Kohl Center on Oct. 10.
From there, they go to Green Bay to face UW-Green Bay on Oct. 15, then close the exhibition portion with Oklahoma State on Oct. 27 at the Kohl Center. That final tune-up mirrors last year’s approach, when Wisconsin ended its exhibition schedule against Oklahoma in Milwaukee.
Once the games start counting, the Badgers open the season at home against Denver on Nov. 2.
That kicks off a stretch of four straight home games to begin the year, with Delaware coming to Madison on Nov. 6, Fairfield on Nov. 10 and Coastal Carolina on Nov.
The schedule gets more demanding after that. Wisconsin heads to the Baha Mar Invitational and is set to face either NC State or Seton Hall on Nov. 19 and Nov.
- The Badgers also have a Wednesday, Nov. 25 home game against Northeastern before the calendar turns to December.
A few of the biggest non-conference dates are already on the board. Wisconsin plays Marquette in Milwaukee on Dec. 5, then meets Villanova in Philadelphia on Dec. 12 in the Philly Hoops Showdown.
A week later, the Badgers take on Auburn in Nashville on Dec. 19 as part of the Bad Boy Mower’s Series. They also have a Dec. 22 home game against Purdue Fort-Wayne before closing non-conference play against Colorado State on Dec.
Here’s the full slate:
Saturday, Oct. 10: vs. UW-Parkside (Exhibition)
Thursday, Oct. 15: at Green Bay (Exhibition)
Tuesday, Oct. 27: vs. Oklahoma State (Exhibition)
Monday, Nov. 2: vs. Denver
Friday, Nov. 6: vs. Delaware
Tuesday, Nov. 10: vs. Fairfield
Sunday, Nov. 15: vs. Coastal Carolina
Thursday, Nov. 19: vs. NC State/Seton Hall (Baha Mar Championship)
Friday, Nov. 20: vs. NC State/Seton Hall (Baha Mar Championship)
Wednesday, Nov. 25: vs. Northeastern
Saturday, Dec. 5: at Marquette
Saturday, Dec. 12: vs. Villanova (Philly Hoops Showdown)
Saturday, Dec. 19: vs. Auburn (Bad Boy Mower’s Series - Nashville)
Tuesday, Dec. 22: vs. Purdue Fort-Wayne
Wednesday, Dec. 30: vs. Colorado State
It’s a non-conference schedule with plenty of power-opponent tests mixed in with a long home stretch, giving Wisconsin a chance to find out a lot about itself before league play arrives.
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Joseph brings a dynamic style that could fit what coordinator Jeff Grimes wants to build, and CBS Sports recently ranked him among the 10 most elusive quarterbacks in college football based on several performance metrics. For a program that has been trying to find a spark and an identity under center, the appeal is obvious, even if the real answer still has to be proven once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
