The Badgers have some programs that have been on a tear. Others? Not so much.
Although spring sports are still going, this is a perfect time to reflect on the five most beloved Wisconsin Badgers athletic programs and rank them from bottom to top going forward.
The sports, in no order, are women’s hockey, men’s hockey, football, men’s basketball, and volleyball.
Note: These rankings are holistic, meaning that just because a season ended well or poorly doesn’t necessarily mean this will pigeonhole a team into a certain slot.
No. 5: Football
I’m probably on the optimistic end of the spectrum here, if for no other reason, because I’ve increasingly found myself defending Luke Fickell from hyperbolic, over-the-top attacks by Wisconsin fans.
But I get where some of the pessimism is coming from, especially from a fan base that got a bit fat and happy on 10+ win seasons (versus very manageable schedules) under the early to middle part of the Chryst regime.
Fickell’s teams have underperformed. That is a fact. And much of it was self-inflicted due to some poor assistant coaching hires like Phil Longo.
While I think the current staff is good and the talent level is up, 2025 will be a daunting season for the Badgers with easily the most difficult schedule in the Big Ten. So the jury is still out, and being No. 5 here was a no-brainer.
No. 4: Men’s Hockey
While I’m still bullish on Mike Hastings, his second season behind the Wisconsin bench was as disappointing as his first season was amazing. A tidal wave of close losses to top teams, coupled with a pitiful limp into the offseason, injects a bit of doubt into what was a sure thing heading into the season.
But coaches don’t typically make back-to-back Frozen Fours in a major conference unless they have the goods, so I think Hastings deserves some grace here, especially given how wildly his first Badger squad overperformed.
His seat is as cold as the Kohl Center ice, but another subpar season will start the whispers.
No. 3: Men’s Basketball
At this time last year, many would have ranked Greg Gard’s program as an easy No. 5 on this list.
Fresh off a humiliating first-round NCAA tourney loss and some big-time transfer portal departures in Chucky Hepburn and AJ Storr, more than a few folks were volunteering to serve in the Fire Gard Army.
One year (and anotherworldly amazing transfer pickup later in John Tonje), the program has a much more stable, optimistic feel. This past season showed the offensive upside that the program can have, and even with a tough Round of 32 loss in a de facto BYU home game, the Badgers have the feel of a program on the rise.
The portal would seem to be bearing this out, as Wisconsin has already added a trio of four-star transfers, led by point guard Nick Boyd. There’s a positive buzz around the program now, and it feels like 2025-26 could be another very good season.
But the Badgers won’t sneak up on anyone like they did this past campaign when they were picked 12th in the Big Ten.
No. 2: Volleyball
It’s a testament to the quality of another Wisconsin team that Volleyball isn’t in the top spot. The squad, the 2021 NCAA champs, didn’t hit their customary Final Four heights this past season, falling in the Elite Eight, but they were near the top of the Big Ten and a top-five team almost all season.
Yes, they lose a ton of talent, including all-everything Sarah Franklin, Anna Smrek, CC Crawford, Devyn Robinson, and Julia Orzol, but return a lot of quality players. That includes Charlie Fuerbringer, Carter Booth, Lola Schumacher, and some massive portal additions like Mimi Colyer (Oregon), Grace Lopez (Miami of Florida), and Grace Egan (Ohio State).
It remains to be seen how all of the pieces will gel, but head coach Kelly Sheffield has a keen eye for talent, so I fully expect the youthful Badgers to be an elite team again.
No. 1: Women’s Hockey
I always need to pause a bit before writing about this team for fear of diving into hyperbole, but this is, without question, the most dominant program in the history of Wisconsin Athletics and is one of the greatest dynasties in college sports history. These are indisputable facts.
Eight national titles in 22 seasons, all overseen by the incomparable Mark Johnson, leave the Badgers looking down at every other program from the summit. A stirring, improbable comeback OT win vs No. 2 Ohio State in this month’s championship game was just the latest chapter for this legendary program.
While it will lose some top players, like leading scorer and Patty Kazmaier Award winner Casey O’Brien, there’s no reason to think the Badgers won’t be a national title threat again in 2026. Just an absolute juggernaut.