sports
The Birth of Bucky Badger’s Push-Ups
Here's the definitive account of how and when the tradition began.
Why the Doctor Has Green Hair
David Margolis MD’89 is both an eminent pediatric oncologist and a zealous fan of the Milwaukee Bucks. With a little spray paint, he now combines his two passions.
Bonnie Oleson: Badger Announcer, Badger Fan
The longtime PA announcer for Badger women’s basketball, volleyball, and softball is not exactly a detached observer.
Fencing’s Glory Days
Over six decades, UW teams won 14 Big Ten championships.
So You Think You Know Ron Dayne?
Here’s what it’s like to meet the UW football legend in person.
Rose Lavelle: Soccer’s New Superstar
The greatest player in UW soccer history faced major challenges en route to helping the U.S. win the World Cup.
Women’s Hockey Champs
Next-generation Badger stars? Inspired young fans greet the UW women’s hockey team on its return from winning the national championship in March. It was…
UW Basketball Begins with Women — and a Goat
Soon after basketball was invented, women at the UW picked up the sport — even before the men. Intramural teams quickly grew in popularity and competed for an unusual (and bleating) trophy.
Terry Gawlik: Doing Right by Title IX in Sports
The success of the women’s volleyball team at the Wisconsin Field House is a highlight of Gawlik’s tenure as a top UW…
On, Alumnae: Kit Saunders-Nordeen
A champion of Title IX, Saunders-Nordeen became the UW’s first women’s athletic director in 1974. UW Archives dn05052510
As the first UW…
A Good Sport
Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay ’92 makes no apologies for being a rabid Badger fan — even in a newsroom populated with Michigan alumni.
Safety Check
Jeff Miller
After a doctor affiliated with Michigan State University was convicted of sexually assaulting numerous young women under his care,…
Hard Truth
Chris Borland ’13 did the unthinkable: he abruptly retired from the NFL, bringing the unseen dangers of the sport to the forefront.
Wisconsin Quidditch
Pull out the brooms: a magical Harry Potter sport has taken on a life of its own at UW–Madison and around the world.
Pat Richter ’64, JD’71
The former UW football star who made the Badgers a national force.
Home Field
Casting long shadows, students play soccer on the Near East Fields near Dejope Residence Hall. The fields are due for reconstruction by 2022 under the…
Jo Ann Heckroth Jansen
A UW alumna hoops it up and inspires players decades younger.
A Big Bounce Back
An NFL career left Brandon Williams ’16 bankrupt. But he’s reinvented himself and found success in multiple fields.
Michael Finley: The Sequel
After his NBA career ended in 2010, Michael Finley ’14 took roles behind the scenes with the Dallas Mavericks and in Hollywood.
5 Great Plays in Badger Sports History
Bronson Koenig launches a buzzer-beater to send the Badgers to the Sweet 16 in the 2016 NCAA tournament. AP IMAGES/Richard Ulreich…
Winter Carnival
Bryce Richter
When frigid temperatures have settled in and sunny skies are rare, what could bring UW students out of their…
Photo Gallery: Hoofers Winter Carnival
Even Wisconsin’s harshest winters haven’t stopped students at its flagship university from outdoor antics. A tradition since the early 20th century, the UW’s
12 Campus Statues
The collection spans a full century of work from multiple sculptors, and is just a small portion of the more than 100 pieces of public art that bring color to campus.
6 Things Bucky Badger Must Do
Some are easier than others.
10 NCAA Hockey Titles
The UW's championships on ice.
SERF’s Down
Jeff Miller
For years, overcrowding and long lines have been the norm at the SERF (Southeast Recreational Facility), built in 1983…
Built on Tradition
UW Archives UW.CLP-A0385.bib; Bryce Richter; photo illustration by Danielle Lawry
Long before “Jump Around” and the Fifth Quarter, the 50-acre lot…
Football Fight
As the sport’s popularity swelled in the 1900s, a UW professor took on college football and tried to reform it, facing the wrath of students and fans.
The Voice
For Spanish-speaking members of the St. Louis Cardinals, translator Alexandra Noboa-Chehade ’09 is an essential part of the team. “You eat, sleep, and dream baseball,” she says.
John Hanc MA’83
Courtesy of John Hanc
To write a book proposal on a woman known as the Marathon Goddess, John Hanc MA’83,…
Maddie Wanamaker
A Badger rower renews her love for the sport.
Small Sacrifices
UW Archives S16748
The greatest impact on the home front was the rationing program. To save coal, Lathrop Hall…
Eric Barrow ’93
Andy Clayton, New York Daily News
Six months after graduating, Eric Barrow ’93 was knocking around Tokyo, brushing up…
Voice of Experience
ESPN’s Andy Katz ’90 feels the pull of the classroom.
Disc Jocks
From its founder to its roster, the success of the Madison Radicals is grounded in the UW’s strong ties to ultimate Frisbee.
Gwen Jorgensen
This former Badger’s path to the Rio Olympics began in Madison.
Annie Pankowski
Sophomore Annie Pankowski continues to score big following a standout freshman season that garnered her Rookie of the Year honors. Jeff…
Laura Albert McLay
How to pick a better bracket.
The Good Guy
Troy Vincent was a standout in Badger and pro football, but these days he’s determined to reach a different goal line for the NFL — and it’s personal. He’s a survivor of domestic abuse determined to find ways to help others.
Olive Sagapolu
Freshman defensive lineman Olive Sagapolu won’t be doing backflips at Camp Randall anytime soon, but he’s taking lessons learned from being a high school cheerleader with him to the gridiron.