History of Wisconsin Badgers football in Timeline
Wisconsin Badgers football, representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison, competes in the NCAA's FBS and the Big Ten Conference since 1896. Home games are played at historic Camp Randall Stadium. The program boasts over 700 wins and significant success since the 1990s. Notable achievements include two Heisman Trophy winners (Alan Ameche and Ron Dayne) and twelve College Football Hall of Fame inductees, solidifying its place as a prominent program in college football history.
1901: Big Ten Title and Undefeated Season
In 1901, Wisconsin won or shared the Big Ten title and recorded their first undefeated season, going 9-0-0.
1906: Shared Big Ten Title
In 1906, Wisconsin won or shared the Big Ten title for the third time in ten years.
1907: Continuous Rivalry
Since 1907, the UW-U of M series has been played continuously.
1912: Fifth Big Ten Title
In 1912, Wisconsin had their second undefeated season and won their fifth Big Ten title.
1912: Last Conference Title Until 1952
The 1912 season was Wisconsin's last conference title until 1952, though the team had mostly winning seasons in between.
1942: National Championship
In 1942, Wisconsin won a national championship from an NCAA-designated major selector, though the school does not claim it.
1948: Fan Pressure on Head Coach
In 1948, fans chanted "Goodbye Harry" due to the Badgers' poor performance, as they finished the season 2-7, which contributed to head coach Harry Stuhldreher stepping down.
1950: Start of Successful Era
In 1950, the Wisconsin Badgers began a period of great success under coach Ivy Williamson, finishing in the AP Top 25 eight times during the decade.
1951: "The Hard Rocks" Defense Leads the Nation
In 1951, the Wisconsin Badgers' defense, known as "The Hard Rocks," led the nation in overall defense.
1952: End of Title Drought
In 1952, Wisconsin claimed its first conference title since 1912.
1952: No. 1 Ranking and Rose Bowl Appearance
In 1952, the Wisconsin Badgers received their first No. 1 ranking by the Associated Press, claimed the Big Ten title, and earned their first trip to the Rose Bowl.
1954: Alan Ameche Wins Heisman Trophy
In 1954, Wisconsin's Alan Ameche became the first Badger to win the Heisman Trophy.
1955: Hall of Fame Inductions
Beginning with George Little and Dave Schreiner in the 1955 class, the Badgers have had 16 former players and coaches inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
1955: Ivy Williamson Steps Down
In 1955, Ivy Williamson stepped down as head coach to become athletic director, and Milt Bruhn was named his replacement.
1956: Bruhn's Initial Setback
In 1956, Milt Bruhn had an initial setback as head coach, with the Badgers posting a 1-5-3 record.
1959: Rose Bowl Appearance
In 1959, Wisconsin returned to the Rose Bowl as Big Ten Champions, but lost to the Washington Huskies.
1962: Successful Campaign
In 1962, Wisconsin had a successful season spearheaded by Ron Vander Kelen and Pat Richter.
1962: Landmark Season and Rose Bowl Appearance
In 1962, the Badgers, led by Ron Vander Kelen and Pat Richter, upset No. 1-ranked Northwestern, finished 8-1, earned their eighth Big Ten title, and faced USC in the Rose Bowl, ultimately finishing No. 2 in both the AP and Coaches polls.
1962: First Outright Title Until 1999
The 1999 team won its first outright Big Ten title since 1962.
1962: Last Big Ten Championship Until 1993
Wisconsin would not win another Big Ten championship again until 1993, after the 1962 season.
1963: Rose Bowl Meeting
In 1963, the Badgers last meeting against USC was in the Rose Bowl.
1966: Milt Bruhn Resigns
In 1966, Milt Bruhn resigned after three straight losing seasons.
1967: Start of Winless Streak
In 1967, the Wisconsin Badgers began a 23-game winless streak under coach John Coatta.
1969: End of Winless Streak
In 1969, the Wisconsin Badgers won 3 games, marking the end of a 23-game winless streak under coach John Coatta.
1970: John Jardine Hired as Head Coach
In 1970, John Jardine was named head coach for the Wisconsin Badgers.
1977: John Jardine Steps Down
In 1977, John Jardine stepped down as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers.
1978: Start of Subpar Seasons
After John Jardine left in 1977, the Badgers had more subpar seasons starting in 1978.
1979: Worst Loss Since 1979
The 2014 loss to Ohio State was the worst loss since 1979 when Ohio State defeated the Badgers 59-0.
1980: End of Subpar Seasons Before Seven-Win Streak
The subpar seasons after John Jardine left, ended in 1980.
1981: Garden State Bowl Appearance
In 1981, the Wisconsin Badgers played in the Garden State Bowl.
1982: Independence Bowl Appearance
In 1982, the Wisconsin Badgers played in the Independence Bowl.
1984: Hall of Fame Classic Bowl Appearance
In 1984, the Wisconsin Badgers played in the Hall of Fame Classic Bowl.
1986: Dave McClain's Death
In 1986, head coach Dave McClain died during spring practice, sending the Badgers into a free fall.
1989: Program in Disarray
By the end of the 1989 season, the Wisconsin football program was in disarray, with a debt of over $2 million and low fan attendance.
1990: End of Disastrous Period
From 1986 to 1990, with interim coach Jim Hilles and then Don Morton, the Badgers won a total of nine games.
1990: Barry Alvarez Hired as Head Coach
In 1990, Barry Alvarez was named the new head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers.
1992: Bowl Contention
In 1992, Wisconsin was in bowl contention on the last day of the season, but a loss to Northwestern kept them from going to a bowl.
1992: Jump Around Unofficial Start
In 1992, the "Jump Around" tradition started unofficially.
1993: Rose Bowl Victory
After the surprise success of 1993, the Badgers won their first Rose Bowl
1993: Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl Victory
In 1993, the Wisconsin Badgers finished 10-1-1, won their first Big Ten championship since 1962, and defeated UCLA to claim their first Rose Bowl victory.
1994: Hall of Fame Bowl Victory
In 1994, the Badgers secured a victory in the Hall of Fame Bowl.
March 1997: Midnight Anthem
In March 1997, at a Fraternity party the song was played with the football team and members of the future stadium employees and it became the midnight anthem for every party until the end of that year.
1997: Bowl Game Success
From 1994 to 1997, the Badgers went 2-1 in bowl games, remaining competitive.
1997: Ross Kolodziej Joins Team
In 1997, Ross Kolodziej became a defensive tackle for the Wisconsin Badgers.
1997: First Shutout Since 1997
The championship loss in 2014, marked the first time since 1997 that the Badgers were shutout.
October 10, 1998: Jump Around Official Start
On October 10, 1998, the "Jump Around" tradition officially began.
1998: School Record 11 Wins
In 1998, the Wisconsin Badgers won a school-record 11 games.
1998: Road Shutout Since 1998
In 2014, the Badgers recorded their first road shutout since 1998.
1999: Big Ten Championship, Rose Bowl and Heisman Trophy
In 1999, the Badgers won the Big Ten championship, the Rose Bowl, and Ron Dayne won the Heisman Trophy.
1999: College Game Day Appearances
Since 1999, the Badgers have appeared on ESPN's College Game Day 18 times.
2000: Ross Kolodziej Leaves Team
In 2000, Ross Kolodziej left the Wisconsin Badgers.
2000: Rose Bowl Win
In 2000, the Badgers won the Rose Bowl over Stanford.
2000: Last Rose Bowl Appearance Until 2010
It had been since 2000, that the Badgers returned to the Rose Bowl in 2010.
2001: Start of Struggles Due to Scholarship Losses
Due to the loss of scholarships from the NCAA investigation, the Badgers struggled starting in 2001.
2002: Illinois Win
In 2002, Bret Bielema led the Illini to their first win in Madison since...
September 6, 2003: Jump Around Cancelled
On September 6, 2003, UW officials decided to cancel the "Jump Around" due to worries about structural integrity.
2003: Paul Bunyan's Axe Loss
In 2003, Wisconsin lost Paul Bunyan's Axe for the first time since...
2003: End of Struggles Due to Scholarship Losses
The badgers struggled from 2001 through the 2003 season.
2004: Alvarez Becomes Athletic Director
In 2004, Barry Alvarez took on the role of athletic director.
2004: Heartland Trophy Inauguration
In 2004, the Heartland Trophy was inaugurated.
2004: Return to Top 20 and Alvarez Named Athletic Director
In 2004, the Wisconsin Badgers returned to the top 20 in the AP polls, and Alvarez was named athletic director.
2005: Alvarez Resigns as Head Coach
Following the 2005 season, Barry Alvarez resigned as head coach.
2005: Paul Chryst Offensive Coordinator
In 2005, Paul Chryst became the offensive coordinator for the Wisconsin Badgers.
2005: Capitol One Bowl Victory and Alvarez Steps Down
In 2005, Wisconsin won the Capitol One Bowl, and Alvarez stepped down as head coach.
2006: Mickey Turner Joins Team
In 2006, Mickey Turner became a tight end for the Wisconsin Badgers.
2006: Capital One Bowl Win
In 2006, Wisconsin won the Capital One Bowl over Arkansas.
2007: Best Record Since...
In 2007, the Badgers had their best record since...
2009: Mickey Turner Leaves Team
In 2009, Mickey Turner left the Wisconsin Badgers.
2010: Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl Appearance
In 2010, the Wisconsin Badgers won a share of the Big Ten Championship and returned to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2000.
2011: Paul Chryst Departure
In 2011, Paul Chryst departed as offensive coordinator for the Wisconsin Badgers.
2011: Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl Appearance
In 2011, Wisconsin won the Big Ten Championship and appeared in the Rose Bowl for a second consecutive year.
December 2012: Gary Andersen Hired
In December 2012, Gary Andersen was hired as the head coach for the Wisconsin Badgers.
December 19, 2012: Gary Andersen Named Head Coach
On December 19, 2012, Gary Andersen was named head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers.
2012: Paul Chryst Head Coach at Pitt
In 2012, Paul Chryst became the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh.
2013: Rose Bowl Loss
In 2013, the Badgers lost the Rose Bowl 20-14 to Stanford with Barry Alvarez as interim coach.
2014: Justin Wilcox at USC
In 2014, Justin Wilcox was USC's defensive coordinator.
2014: Paul Chryst Hired as Head Coach
In 2014, Paul Chryst was hired as the next head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers after departing from Pitt.
2014: Big Ten West Division Champions and Championship Game Loss
In 2014, the Wisconsin Badgers started the season ranked No. 14, Melvin Gordon broke the single-game rushing record, and the team took 1st place in the West Division, losing to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.
January 1, 2015: Outback Bowl Victory
On January 1, 2015, Wisconsin won the Outback Bowl against Auburn with Barry Alvarez as interim coach.
January 2015: Andersen Confirms Frustration with Academic Standards
In January 2015, Gary Andersen confirmed that he was frustrated with the university's high academic standards for athletes.
December 2015: Justin Wilcox Fired
In early December 2015, Justin Wilcox was fired from USC.
2015: Outback Bowl Victory
In 2015, the Badgers won the Outback Bowl against Auburn.
2016: Dave Aranda Leaves
In 2016, Dave Aranda left to be the defensive coordinator for the LSU Tigers.
2016: Upset Victory over LSU
In 2016, the Badgers upset the No. 5 ranked LSU Tigers 16-14 in their season opener at Lambeau Field.
2017: Orange Bowl Victory
In 2017, the Badgers won the Orange Bowl over Miami to finish the season with a 13-1 record.
2018: Pinstripe Bowl Win
In 2018, the Badgers won the Pinstripe Bowl against Miami to finish 8-5.
January 2019: Buyout Contract Date
Gary Andersen's contract, which required a $3 million buyout for departing within the first two years, was set through January 2019.
2020: Rose Bowl Loss
In 2020, the Badgers fell one-point short in the Rose Bowl.
May 3, 2021: Wisconsin to Play Home and Home Series Versus Utah
On May 3, 2021, it was announced that Wisconsin would play a home and home series versus the Utah Utes in 2028 and 2033.
June 7, 2021: Wisconsin to Play Notre Dame at Lambeau Field in 2026
On June 7, 2021, it was announced that Wisconsin would play versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2026 at Lambeau Field, a game rescheduled from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021: Most Recent Visit
In 2021, the most recent visit came when UW played Notre Dame in Chicago.
November 27, 2022: Luke Fickell Announcement
On November 27, 2022, Luke Fickell was announced as the 31st head football coach for the Wisconsin Badgers.
2022: Most Recent Bowl Game
In 2022, the Badgers played their most recent bowl game, the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
November 21, 2023: Wisconsin to Play Pittsburgh in Ireland in 2027
On November 21, 2023, it was announced that Wisconsin would play versus the Pittsburgh Panthers in 2027 at Aviva Stadium in Ireland as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
November 25, 2023: Data Information
As of November 25, 2023, this chart includes both the overall record the University of Wisconsin Badgers have with the all-time Big Ten members, as well as the matchups that counted in the Big Ten standings.
March 26, 2024: Wisconsin to Play Home and Home Series Versus California
On March 26, 2024, it was announced that Wisconsin would play a home and home series versus the California Golden Bears in 2029 and 2030.
2024: Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington Joined
In 2024, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington joined.
February 28, 2025: Announced Schedules
Announced schedules as of February 28, 2025.
