What is the state of the Badgers program at the moment?
Although this pursuit is admittedly highly subjective, I decided to come up with worry levels based on a 1-10 scale (with 1 being 100 percent chill and 10 being full panic mode) for a number of Wisconsin Badgers programs.
A couple of quick caveats: This is not solely based on this season, although a highly successful or unsuccessful current team will have disproportionate weight. Same with program controversy.
Here is Part II in my series where I provide my Worry Levels based on a 1-10 scale (with 1 being 100% cool and 10 being freaking the F out) for several Wisconsin Badgers programs. (Part I can be found here.)
Men’s Hockey: 2
In the homestretch of a disappointing ‘24-25 campaign filled with close losses to elite teams and without many big wins (and in the throes of a tough losing streak), I was tempted here to turn the worry knob up a bit on Mike Hastings’ program.
But then I remembered that he took over a 13-win, Big Ten basement dweller before last season (and a program that had made the NCAA tournament one time in the better part of a decade).
And what did Hastings do? He had his new Badgers in the Top 5 of NCAA Hockey for much of the season with a gaggle of elite wins. Accordingly, this program is getting some grace from me now.
Year No. 3 will be pivotal, but I’m not concerned that a coach with two Frozen Four appearances in the three years before taking over in Madison (with a pronounced Gopher Killer streak) will be anything but successful.
Volleyball: 1
While not at the level of Mark Johnson’s Hockey program (what is?), there’s zero question that Coach Kelly Sheffield is presiding over an elite outfit. Here is the program under Sheffield: NCAA Runner Up, Elite Eight, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, NCAA Runner Up, Final Four, NCAA Champion, Elite Eight, Final Four, Elite Eight.
When down years are Elite Eight appearances in an absolutely stacked NCAA volleyball universe, you’re doing incredibly well. Sheffield is also a maestro in the recruiting and transfer trail. Just an absolute juggernaut of a program.
Wrestling: 8
This one hurts, because I like Chris Bono, a USA Wrestling Hall-of-Famer who has coached 7 All-Americans in Madison and strikes me as a hard-working, salt-of-the-earth type who should be a great fit for this particular job.
He’s been at Wisconsin since 2018 and has had some very solid seasons, but the team’s performance recently has slipped dramatically. Sitting at 5-11 overall and 1-7 in the Big Ten this season on the heels of 9-7 (3-5 in conference meets) in ‘23-24 is more than worrisome.
While there have been injuries (Braxton Amos chief amongst them) and tough transfers out, the reality is that things appear to be in a rough place and the fanbase is in revolt.
While I’m hopeful it’s not too late to turn this around, this is a worry-level article not a meeting of the University of Wisconsin Regents.
Men’s Soccer: 5
The 2024 campaign started off auspiciously for the Badgers, going 6-1 with massive wins over then No. 2 Kentucky and No. 12 UCLA, resulting in a well-deserved (at the time) No. 6 national ranking.
But third-year coach Neil Jones and crew surprisingly won only once the rest of the way and finished a disappointing 10th in the Big Ten, extending the Badgers’ NCAA Tournament drought to seven seasons.
There are definitely signs of promise in the program, but the reality is that, after three seasons, Jones is a .500 soccer coach. There’s no way to sugarcoat it.
So it’s fair to say that this program faces a prove-it year in 2025, much like Luke Fickell’s does, although there are some signs that the Badgers are poised for a breakout, including a very strong class of freshmen in 2024.
Women’s Soccer: 2
One of the deans of Big Ten Soccer, Coach Paula Wilkins has built a strong program over her 18 seasons in Madison.
With numerous NCAA appearances and All-Big Ten performers, this team has been remarkably consistent and successful, and there doesn’t seem to be any reason why that can’t continue as long as Wilkins coaches, as evidenced by the squad’s second Sweet 16 appearance in four seasons this past fall.
The question remains, much like with Greg Gard: can this team ever be truly elite? I wouldn’t bet against Wilkins, who seems to have the program on the cusp of something special.
Softball: 2
Like Wilkins, Yvette Healy is another long-tenured Badger coach who is entering year 14 at the helm of the Wisconsin program, and has reached the NCAA Tournament six times. Just a rock-solid program.
Its biggest highlight in recent years was a stunning win at No. 1 Oklahoma in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, ending the Sooners’ 41-game winning streak (although OU would, sadly, win the next game to send the Badgers home).
While lacking breakthrough success in the form of a College World Series or consistent deep NCAA Tournament runs, it’s hard to argue that this isn’t a successful and consistent program.
Note: Men’s/Women’s Track, Men’s Women’s CC, Men’s/Women’s Swimming, Men’s/Women’s Tennis, and Men’s/Women’s Rowing are all in the 1-2 range.