Former University of Wisconsin basketball player Freddie Owens is preparing to release a memoir next month that traces his path from Milwaukee’s North Side to the NCAA tournament and, eventually, a long career in coaching.
The book, “Echoes of Stark Park,” draws its name from the Milwaukee park where Owens spent much of his childhood and where he says basketball became both a refuge and a guide.
Elijah Gray was dismissed from the Wisconsin men’s basketball team in October due to “events preceding his enrollment at UW-Madison.”
Now, some of Gray’s activity before enrolling at Wisconsin has surfaced in a federal indictment as part of a federal investigation into point-shaving.
Bouncing back from the Iowa loss in the Big Ten opener, the Badgers defeated Maryland, 28-13, at the Field House last Sunday to bring their overall record to 9-1.
It was the UW’s largest margin of victory against a conference opponent since beating Northwestern in February 2024. The Wildcats will be Friday’s challenge at the Field House.
Brady Collins was on camera next to University of Wisconsin football coach Luke Fickell late in a number of Badgers broadcasts this season.
Collins, the program’s director of strength and conditioning, is one of Fickell’s close friends whose positivity has helped stabilize emotions and the Badgers’ struggles. While Collins tried to keep Fickell’s and players’ eyes looking forward to success around the corner, his mind raced regarding what he and the strength staff could do better.
John Blackwell couldn’t believe the question.
The junior guard had lifted the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team to a stunning finish in Tuesday’s 78-75 win over Minnesota at Williams Arena, scoring 20 of his 27 points in a second half that was capped by a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
It had never happened before, and it hasn’t happened since — the men’s and women’s hockey teams from the same school winning NCAA championships in the same year.
But in 2006, both the men’s and women’s University of Wisconsin hockey teams won national titles, and the teams were led by a brother and sister who grew up playing youth hockey in Madison.
The salary pool for University of Wisconsin football coaches now represents more than what the Badgers pay to coaches in the rest of their sports combined.
Wisconsin’s 18 football coaches from the 2025 season totaled salaries of $14.61 million this school year. The 66 other coaches had a salary pool of $14.39 million, according to records released by the school.
In the heart of Milwaukee’s North Side, Stark Park thrummed like a drumbeat at the center of the neighborhood, wrote Freddie Owens, the former University of Wisconsin basketball player turned author.
It was the early 1990s and the neighborhood bore the bruises of a city wrestling with the crack epidemic, poverty and crime, he opined in his book, “Echoes of Stark Park.”
Years living with an autoimmune disease meant it was a matter of when, not if, Adam Barnes would need a liver transplant.
That time was approaching after he was hospitalized for a blocked bile duct in 2024. The idea of seeking a living donor came up but there was something about it that turned him off.
It’s a coincidence that the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team was preparing for a game against No. 5 Purdue on Saturday at the Kohl Center as coach Greg Gard was posed with a question about … well, a host of happenings in the “wild, wild world” of major college basketball — G League players and former NBA draft picks gaining NCAA eligibility, and programs making midseason additions that will play in the spring semester.
Dear Tom,
It’s hard to believe it’s been more than 11 years since we lost you. A lot’s happened since then, and now seemed like a good time to bring you up to speed.
You never even found out that you were voted the Sportswriter of the Year in Wisconsin for the third time in your career. There it is on the National Sports Media Association’s website: 2014 — Tom Mulhern, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. Page down and you can see your name in 2005 and 2010, too.
Two Wisconsinites were given their first Pro Bowl selections, including one rookie who spent most of his college career at the University of Wisconsin, when the National Football League named its teams for the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl Games.
A Vietnam War and retired U.S. Air Force veteran received a refurbished vehicle at the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball game at the Kohl Center on December 22.
American Family Insurance, Gerber Collision, and Glass team up to present Mark Knowlton with the car during a first-half timeout. The companies collaborated with Veterans Outreach Wisconsin to select Mark for the gift.
There are a few main ways of looking at attendance for University of Wisconsin football games, and they all produced ugly results in 2025.
The Badgers played in front of the smallest average home crowd in the two decades that it has been tracked using ticket scanners. No-shows climbed to a level never seen in that same period.
Life is a whirlwind these days for Eric Mateos.
In the eight days since he was announced as the Wisconsin Badgers’ new offensive line coach he has met the linemen on the roster, offered scholarships to at least four high school prospects, watched a ton of film on high school players, potential portal targets and some of the Badgers’ games this season.
The number of alcohol unit sales at Badgers games at Camp Randall Stadium in 2025 fell 21% compared to the first year of availability at general concession stands in 2024.
That decrease was slightly more than the 20% falloff in the number of fans in the venue between the two seasons. Records obtained through public records requests showed there were slightly fewer alcoholic beverage units sold per ticket scanned in 2025 than in 2024.
Which performers headlined concerts at Camp Randall Stadium in 2025, marking the venue’s first concerts in decades?
Under the terms of her employment contract, University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin received a bonus this year for staying in her job and for “satisfactory” performance. How much did she receive from the bonus?
Mnookin’s base pay surpassed $892,000 by 2024 after pay raises for UW system employees and “catch-up base salary increases” for multiple chancellors. Her annual bonus for staying is set to increase each year, from $150,000 this year up to $350,000 in 2029.
Chuck Neinas, a longtime administrator in college athletics who was also a Wisconsin native and University of Wisconsin graduate, died Tuesday at 93.
Steve Stricker is playing with daughter Izzi, who plays at the University of Wisconsin.
In August, a group of former University of Wisconsin women’s basketball players sued former head coach Marisa Moseley, alleging psychological abuse.
The civil case, which also lists the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents and former UW senior associate athletic director Justin Doherty as defendants, seeks compensatory and punitive damages.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison won the Big Ten “We Give Blood Drive” competition, earning $1 million that will go toward student or community health initiatives.
The competition, sponsored by Abbott, challenged all Big Ten schools to collect the most blood donations to help address the nationwide blood shortage.
The addition of general managers for football and men’s basketball teams contributed to a 15% increase in the total salary for University of Wisconsin athletics administrators this season compared to the year before.
The Badgers are paying 17 people with a title of athletic director, deputy athletic director or associate athletic director a total of nearly $5.1 million in the 2025-26 school year, according to salary information provided by the university through a public records request and the contract for AD Chris McIntosh.
The University of Wisconsin won in the second season of Abbott and the Big Ten’s We Give Blood Drive, overcoming Nebraska in a close contest.
Running from Aug. 27 through Dec. 5, the “We Give Blood” competition, was announced at the 2025 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game in Indianapolis.
Georgia returned home to Cross Plains in early August after 170 days in medical facilities. The vehicle pulled up to the house, and there waiting for her were members of the Wisconsin volleyball program.
Mike Leckrone led the UW Marching Band in support of the Badgers for many years, but when Bucky went missing, he rose to the challenge of donning the stripes himself.
The Regents unanimously approved a seven-year extension with the apparel provider that contains a three-year mutual option in a special meeting Tuesday morning.
Some details of the extension emerged Monday morning when the Board of Regents posted an agenda for a special meeting Tuesday at which it gave unanimous approval. The total amount of cash and merchandise credit for Wisconsin is increasing from $96.75 million under the existing 10-year deal to $104.5 million over the next 10 years.
The contract, which has to be fully signed before it’s released in response to a public records request, is for seven years with a three-year mutual extension, but both Wisconsin and Under Armour were considering it a 10-year arrangement
The University of Wisconsin-Madison and Under Armour have announced a landmark 10-year extension of their partnership. This agreement continues a decade-long relationship focused on innovation and elevating the university’s student athletes.
When Camp Randall Stadium started selling alcohol last fall during Badger football games, University of Wisconsin-Madison leaders said a portion of the revenue would go to campus.
They said the money would support “efforts to promote student wellness and to encourage responsible behavior around the use of alcohol, such as offering alcohol-free programming for students and supporting students experiencing challenges related to high-risk behaviors.”
So far, nearly $500,000 in revenue from alcohol sales at athletic events has been distributed for this purpose, said Gillian Drummond, a campus spokesperson. The university’s Student Affairs division received $442,000 last school year and University Housing received $50,000, she said.
On Nov. 23, 1889, the University of Wisconsin played its first football game. The game was one to forget for UW, who lost 27-0 against the Calumet Club of Milwaukee.
Years living with an autoimmune disease meant it was a matter of when, not if, Adam Barnes would need a liver transplant. That time was approaching after he was hospitalized for a blocked bile duct in 2024. The idea of seeking a living donor came up but there was something about it that turned him off.
Barnes, the University of Wisconsin senior associate athletic director for business operations, initially didn’t want someone else to go through the danger of elective surgery and a painful recovery to benefit him.
The Badgers (4-1) narrowly fell out of the Associated Press men’s college basketball rankings on Monday, three days removed from a 98-70 blowout loss to BYU on Friday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. It matched the most-lopsided loss of Wisconsin coach Greg Gard’s tenure.
While a fuzzy microfiber suit, red-and-white striped Motion W sweater and 30-pound head are standard issue, it is up to the people inside the costume to make Bucky Badger unique.
In anticipation of the 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 premiere of the new historical PBS Wisconsin documentary narrated by comedian Charlie Berens — Bucky! — we tracked down former Bucky Cecil Powless to unmask what it takes to become the chaotic and infectious icon of energy that is beloved by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the entire state.
Wisconsin football season ticket buyers now face the same decision as they’ve had every other season: Renew for next season or give up their seats. It has been 33 years, however, since consecutive losing seasons has been a factor in the discussion.
UW-Madison police issued 20 citations at Saturday’s game against Illinois.
Citations included six for underage alcohol, four for throwing hard objects and two for trespassing. UW students accounted for nine of the 20 citations.
The University of Wisconsin is seeking approval for an extension of its agreement with Under Armour to be the Badgers’ official apparel supplier.
The Board of Regents scheduled an 8 a.m. special meeting Tuesday to consider a seven-year extension through 2033 that carries a three-year option through 2036.
Student athletes from the University of Wisconsin-Madison join Sunday to help the largest push of the weekend. Elected officials, including Gov. Tony Evers, have participated as well.
Assistant drum major Arista Whitson helps lead the University of Wisconsin-Madison Marching Band in collaboration with drum major Caleb Monge. For every Badger football game played at Camp Randall, the band performs a pregame, halftime and fifth quarter performance celebrating their legendary tradition with energy and precision.
Sighs, long pauses and stares into the distance accompanied many of the answers to a difficult question posed to University of Wisconsin seniors over the past three weeks.
The class, which will be celebrated Saturday night when the Badgers face Illinois for the final game at Camp Randall Stadium this season, finds itself celebrating something different than most senior days.
Student-athletes at the University of Wisconsin–Madison recently participated in an innovative NIL initiative called Next Level Prep, created by Twin Bridge Sports to highlight athletes’ authentic voices and elevate their personal brands. Twin Bridge describes Next Level Prep as “more than a campaign — it’s a platform that empowers student-athletes to inspire the next generation.”
A new historical documentary, “Bucky!”, follows Wisconsin’s beloved mascot from his debut in 1949 to his current status as a state icon.
The UW-Madison Police Department is involved with escorting buses that carry teams to Camp Randall Stadium for University of Wisconsin football games and in getting the opponent to the airport afterward.
University of Wisconsin football players carried American flags onto the field as they ran out of the Camp Randall Stadium tunnel before Saturday’s game against No. 24 Washington.
Chris McIntosh is doubling down on the most significant decision of his tenure as the University of Wisconsin’s athletic director.
Luke Fickell will return as the Badgers’ football coach in 2026, McIntosh told BadgerExtra in an interview Thursday morning. BadgerExtra reported after Wisconsin’s loss to Ohio State on Oct. 18 that McIntosh met with the team that week and players’ takeaway from that meeting was that Fickell’s job was safe. McIntosh spoke to the team again Thursday after practice to ensure players knew Fickell was staying put.
UW Athletics announced on Wednesday that Wisconsin will kick off its 2027 football season in Ireland.
The Badgers will take on the Pitt Panthers on Aug. 28, 2027, in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
If Wisconsin’s disappointing 2025 football season is prompting Badgers fans to drink, they are not doing it at the Camp Randall concession stands. Or at least not at the level that fans did so in 2024.
The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team announced Tuesday that a senior forward has been dismissed from the team.
There was only one name to know when it came to leading cheers at University of Wisconsin hockey games: Phil.
Phil Dzick, who spent decades organizing Badgers fans counting goals and asking for more at the Dane County Coliseum, the Kohl Center and LaBahn Arena, died Wednesday, a Wisconsin spokesperson said. He was 81.
The University of Wisconsin athletic department’s policies around player welfare and mental health are set to be scrutinized. UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin has ordered a review of “programs and policies associated with the student-athlete experience,” athletic director Chris McIntosh said Wednesday at a meeting of the Athletic Board.
There’s more to the rings commemorating the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team’s eighth NCAA championship than there was for the first seven.
Part of the shipment of food to be prepared for the next week’s University of Wisconsin football game arrived as usual at Camp Randall Stadium on a Thursday last year.
The collection was short in one product that in Wisconsin almost certainly would get noticed if concession stands ran out early: There weren’t enough brats.
University of Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh again put his support behind football coach Luke Fickell on Monday and vowed increased investment in the program.
In a letter sent via email to fans Monday morning, McIntosh said the football team hasn’t performed to the department’s expectations and while that’s frustrating, he believes in Fickell’s plan for the program.
Brooks Bollinger has occasionally caught his youngest son watching YouTube highlight videos of his dad’s playing days at the University Wisconsin and in pro football.
In turn, he has found himself sitting down with his second grader and reliving some of his past gridiron exploits, notably as a four-year starting quarterback with the Badgers
“The first thing that comes to mind is how damn long ago it was,” chuckled the 45-year-old Bollinger, a member of the UW Athletic Hall of Fame.
Madison Quest can’t help but think back to another time every time she runs through the high five line during University of Wisconsin volleyball lineup introductions at the UW Field House.
The University of Wisconsin’s contention that there were signs that former football player Xavier Lucas had already started negotiating a deal to transfer to Miami before he parted with the Badgers can be explored, a Dane County Judge ruled Wednesday.
Luke Fickell requested fans’ ire Monday when asked for his message to a frustrated nation of University of Wisconsin football backers.
His answer asked for support for the players on the field and for fans to direct their anger about the state of the Badgers to him. Fury from fans can be heard at Camp Randall Stadium on game days, which have included two blowout losses at home in the past four weeks, and daily via social media.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is employing the work of a unique robot dog at the Kellner Family Athletic Center’s construction site near Camp Randall.
University of Wisconsin-Madison community members, student organizations, alumni and local companies joined together for an evening of celebration and togetherness at Friday’s annual Homecoming Parade.
UW-Madison police reported that 28 people were ejected from Camp Randall Stadium and 16 were arrested during Saturday’s Badgers game against Iowa.
A sellout crowd quietly watched as Iowa routed Wisconsin 37-0.
Remember when the Badgers football team competed for the Big Ten championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl? If so, your memory would have to go back a few years. Remember when the Badgers lost to a so-so, 20th ranked Michigan team by 14 points and that was considered a moral victory? You’d have to think all the way back to last Saturday for that one. It might be fresher in your mind.
