It was a busy stretch for Wisconsin fans even without a game on the calendar. Between courtroom chaos in college athletics, an overseas move for Johnny Davis, and Big Ten Media Days chatter, there was plenty to track around the Badgers.
The biggest developments landed on Friday, and they reached far beyond Wisconsin. A judge in Colorado, Charlotte Sweeney, issued an order telling the NCAA that every player from the high school class of 2022 must get one more year of athletic eligibility, no matter the sport.
The NCAA quickly appealed to the Tenth Circuit, but the ruling still sent athletes scrambling into the portal or exploring ways to return right away. The whole situation is still a mess, but it appears there is a real chance that players who used up four years last season could end up with a fifth.
For Wisconsin, the ruling would affect Braeden Carrington and four other Badgers. It also has some impact on former Badger AJ Storr, who received his own injunction in a separate case.
There was also movement on the legislative side. The Big Ten and the SEC signed the Protect College Sports Act, and it is now headed to the Senate. That bill could reshape college athletics in a major way.
On the player movement front, Johnny Davis is heading overseas after years of trying to stick in the NBA. He has signed with Glint Manisa Basket in Turkey. The move does not close the door on an NBA return, either; Davis is hoping the stint overseas can help him work his way back.
Former Badger John Tonje also made news, landing a two-year, two-way deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.
And at Big Ten Media Days, the coaches had plenty to say as the conference’s preseason spotlight kept rolling.
In Other News...
Wisconsins Lambeau Opener Will Say A Lot About Luke Fickell
Wisconsins 2026 opener at Lambeau Field already stands out as one of the biggest games on the schedule, and not just because it brings Notre Dame to Green Bay for a neutral-site showcase. It will be the first real measuring stick for Luke Fickell in a season that begins with a national spotlight, a demanding opponent and a schedule that is fully laid out from Week 1 through the regular-season finale. For a program trying to keep moving forward under a coach still shaping the roster and identity, the first Saturday in September figures to carry extra weight.
Notre Dame arrives with the kind of profile that makes an early upset difficult, built around continuity, a veteran coaching staff and more depth than Wisconsin can match on paper right now. Fickell has talked this offseason about the work ahead and the importance of being ready from the start, and this matchup will test how close the Badgers are to that standard. The full slate offers chances to settle in after the opener, but the tone of the season may already be set by the time the teams leave Lambeau Field. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin May Be Headed For A Kicking Battle Fans Dread
Wisconsins kicking situation has become one of those quiet summer storylines that can wind up mattering more than anyone expects. Nathanial Vakos, who has handled the job before, is trying to come back for a fifth college season while working through a legal battle for additional eligibility, and that has left the Badgers with an uneasy waiting game as they sort out what the spot might look like if he is not part of it.
For now, the roster picture only adds to the uncertainty. Gavin Lahm and Brady Lelum are both in the mix, but neither has attempted a field goal in college, which makes the competition feel more about projection than proven production. If Vakos does get back on the field, Wisconsin will still have to decide whether his past work makes him the safest answer, or whether this position is headed for the kind of fall battle fans would rather avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin May Have Finally Found The Spark Jeff Grimes Needed
Wisconsin has spent much of the Luke Fickell era searching for steadier play at quarterback, with transfers cycling through and too often not sticking around long enough to provide the kind of continuity an offense needs. This offseason brought another swing at solving that problem, but the addition of Colton Joseph from Old Dominion feels a little different because of the way he plays rather than just where he came from.
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 🡒]