History of the Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin). They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sub-level), primarily competing in the Big Ten Conference for all sports since the 1896–97 season. The women's ice hockey team competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), while the men's and lightweight women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC).

College Sports Established
1896

Location
Madison, Wisconsin

College Name
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division 1
1921 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
1907 - 1921 / Athletic Association of the United States

Conference History
1896 – Present / Big 10 Conference

Nickname
Badgers - In the late 1700's, miners began to work in the mineral-rich earth of the state like Wisconsin. Some of these miners used the mines they had dug as a sort of "den," so they were compared to the badger, and the nickname stuck around. The state of Wisconsin is known as "The Badger State."

NCAA Championships
Baseball 0

Men's Basketball 1
1941

Women's Basketball 0

Football 0

Soccer 1
1995