Let’s evaluate how each Badgers team performed as we approach the end of the calendar year.
As we close the book on the first semester, I would like to take this opportunity to give grades to all of the Wisconsin Badgers fall/winter sports teams. For fall sports, these are the final grades (even if there is a football game remaining). For winter sports, it is a mid-semester grade. Even though The Don is almost always 100% correct, I’d still love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, especially if you’ve made it through. (Note: I won’t use the scary AB and BC grades that UW-Madison loved. They’re not specific enough.)
volleyball: Although the season ended on a sad note with a Final Four loss to the defending champion Texas Longhorns, this version of Kelly Sheffield’s volleyball players was remarkable, with several big wins (including a sweep of No. 1 Nebraska) and an MVP award Patriot of the Year by Sarah Franklin. Who returned from injury to lead one of the best teams in Badger history. Final grade: A
soccer: Expectations were very high in Luke Fickell’s first season, but it became clear fairly early that 2023 was going to be more challenging than anyone expected for this team. While the late wins over Nebraska and Minnesota were bold and important, they weren’t enough to save the season from disappointment, and coaches and players will tell you the same thing. The future is bright for the Badgers, but this season has been very difficult. Final Grade: C+ (pre-bowl game)
Men’s football: The season started off strong with a huge win over No. 1 Kentucky, followed by back-to-back gutsy draws against ranked teams IU and Northwestern. But the team couldn’t string the wins together and ended the campaign with a tough 2-1 loss to the Hoosiers in the Big Ten quarterfinals, leaving them 6-5-5 overall and 2-2-4 in the Big Ten: Final grade: C+
Women’s football: Paula Wilkins’ side had a very impressive season, led by a deep and talented squad, including high-scoring Emma Jaskanec. The Badgers finished third in the Big Ten and second in the conference tournament, before eventually falling to Texas in the NCAA Round of 32 as the fourth seed. Despite the tough finish, this team had a great season (14-5-4 overall, 7-2-1 in the Big Ten) earning an impressive No. 12 national ranking heading into the NCAA Tournament (No. 19). The only thing keeping this grade from being a straight A is the team’s upset in the tournament, Even if that is for seed No. 5. And The future looks bright! Final grade: A-
Men’s/Women’s Cross Country: Mick Byrne’s Birds were their usual steady and successful self this fall, culminating with the men’s Big Ten title (the women were second), as well as a 10th-place finish at the men’s NCAA Championships and a 22nd-place finish for the women’s . This is a big deal and appreciating the kind of excellence that happens outside of the spotlight is important to Badger fans. Final grade: A (men)/A- (women)
Women’s hockey: No one does it better than coach Mark Johnson, and expectations were high for this team, coming off its seventh NCAA title. Injuries were an issue in the first half, leading to a solid but not spectacular (by our standards) 14-4 record (10-4 in conference) and a No. 3 national ranking heading into Christmas. But there’s no reason to believe that Johnson’s high-powered and extremely talented team, led by Kirsten Sims, Britta Curl and Lacey Eden, won’t be right in the thick of things come March. Intermediate grade: A-
Men’s hockey: While expectations for the Badgers’ men’s hockey program rose following the hiring of Mike Hastings in March, unlike the football team, fans seemed reluctant to make any bold predictions about the upcoming season. Then the matches started and things really took off. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Badgers of 23-24 were a huge success as they reached the midpoint of the season. After reaching No. 1 in November, the team now ranks sixth in the nation and second in the Big Ten (8-2). With a slew of huge wins under its belt already (sweeps of Minnesota and Michigan, among them), this team has all the makings of a team that could make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament in March, and it has some fun players, too. Intermediate grade: A
Men’s basketball: It’s no secret that the 22-23 season was a disappointing season for Greg Gard’s side, so it was more important than usual that we start this season strong with a retooled roster, which included transfer AJ Storr and new goalkeeper John Blackwell, among others. The first half of the season was largely successful, even with a limited schedule. Although they were far from perfect, wins over Marquette, Virginia and Michigan State showed what this team can accomplish against top-tier competition, and even a 25-point loss to No. 1 Arizona felt like a fluke. If the No. 23 Badgers stay healthy and locked in, there’s no reason to believe they can’t make noise in both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament. I was definitely on board with this idea from the jump and even KenPom impressed us once again. Intermediate grade: A-
Women’s basketball: It’s still early in Coach Mosley’s tenure, but there’s a palpable sense of excitement around the women’s hoops program. Despite having some losses to the portal and graduation, the 23-24 team is much more competitive than it was just two seasons ago. They now sit at 6-4, and while they won’t be in contention for a Big Ten finish, it’s easy to imagine steady improvement this season, which will hopefully create momentum for the program on the recruiting and transfer trail. Average grade: B
wrestling: As I emphasized in my preseason podcast with Coach Bono, this is a rebuilding/reloading year in many ways for the Badgers, but the team still has talent. It’s still relatively early in the season, so I’m ready to get over the humiliating 42-0 loss to Iowa State’s Bono University, but the 4-1 Badgers will have to make a noticeable jump and really start to gel in order to compete in a fully loaded Big Ten . Average grade: B
Men’s and women’s swimming: With the meatiest part of their seasons coming in 2024, Yuri Suguyama’s 13th-ranked Badger women are 4-0 and 2-0 in the Big Ten and the 22nd-ranked Badgers are 3-1 and 2-0 in the Big Ten, leaving both in the Very good as the Christmas holidays approach. Midterm grade: A (women)/A- (men)
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Welcome to Badger News, where we provide you with the latest updates and reports on fall and winter sports! As the seasons change, so do the performances of our favorite teams and athletes. In this report card, we will be evaluating and grading the successes and challenges of various sports teams and individual athletes across different disciplines. From football to basketball, hockey to wrestling, we’ll give you a comprehensive overview of how our teams have fared and what to look forward to in the coming months. Stay tuned for all the highlights, lowlights, and everything in between in our fall and winter sports report card!