Brutal October headlines Wisconsin’s 2025 schedule reveal

The Badgers have a tough schedule on their hands in 2025.

The Wisconsin Badgers announced their 2025 schedule on Thursday in cohesion with the Big Ten, revealing both the dates for their non-conference matchups, as well as their conference games for the upcoming year.

Note: For Badgers fans looking for an easier schedule after a tough 2024 year, you may want to look away.

Here’s the full schedule for Wisconsin next season, with home games in bold.

Aug. 30: vs. Miami (Ohio)

Sept. 6: vs. Middle Tennessee

Sept. 13: at Alabama

Sept. 20: vs. Maryland

Oct. 4: at Michigan

Oct. 11: vs. Iowa

Oct. 18: vs. Ohio State

Oct. 25: at Oregon

Nov. 8: vs. Washington

Nov. 15: at Indiana

Nov. 22: vs. Illinois

Nov. 29: at Minnesota

Takeaways

Wisconsin’s 2025 schedule is brutal, to say the least.

Not only does Wisconsin face tough conference opponents, but they also hit the road to face Alabama, making it another hard year in the Big Ten.

That road game against Alabama highlights the month of September, as the Badgers will head to Tuscaloosa and could face a very different team than the Crimson Tide group that just missed this year’s College Football Playoff.

Quarterback Jalen Milroe, among a number of other starters, is expected to enter the 2025 NFL Draft, while the transfer portal always comes into play as well. Nonetheless, it will be yet another difficult matchup, with a road environment coming into play now.

But, the part that truly stands out is the month of October, when Wisconsin has a rough stretch.

After a bye week to end September, Wisconsin faces Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, and Oregon in a four-game stretch, with the matchups against the Wolverines and Ducks coming on the road.

That is as brutal of a stretch as you could imagine, as all four teams could have an argument to be ranked at some point next year, with Ohio State and Oregon presumably inside the Top 10 once again.

The Badgers get their second bye week earlier this year after that four-game stretch and face Washington for the first time at home to begin November, but that’s followed with a tough matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers, which will also be on the road.

Then, Wisconsin ends the year with Illinois (at home) and Minnesota (on the road), ending their Big Ten schedule.

Overall, there are a ton of difficult matchups on the schedule for next year, with Alabama, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, and Oregon standing out. But, more importantly, there don’t really seem to be any easier matches where the Badgers would be considerable favorites on their conference schedule.

The tough schedule only further highlights the importance of Luke Fickell and his staff nailing the transfer portal moves and development of younger players this offseason, as they prepare for what should be a grueling year.