A first look at how the 2026 Wisconsin Badgers football schedule unfolds

MADISON – The Big Ten Conference revealed its football schedule for the 2026 season Tuesday, Jan. 27.

Here is how the slate unfolds for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Kickoff times and broadcast information will be announced later.

More: Wisconsin football transfer portal tracker: Offensive lineman from Division II Augustana commits

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin, Sept. 6 at Lambeau Field

How much progress did the Badgers make during the offseason? We’ll start to get some answers with this matchup. The Fighting Irish are coming off a 10-2 season that many felt merited a berth in the College Footbal Playoff and are ranked No. 3 in ESPN’s way-too-early 2026 rankings. This will be the 18^th meeting between the programs. Notre Dame holds a 9-6-2 edge that includes a 41-13 win over the Badgers in 2021.

Western Illinois at Wisconsin, Sept. 12

The Leathernecks were 4-8 last season with a 3-5 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference-Big South. Their 0-3 record against the Badgers includes a 37-3 loss in 2014, the teams’ most recent meeting.

Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin, Sept. 19

The Eagles are coming off a 4-8 mark in 2025 that included a 3-5 record in the Mid-American Conference that tied for ninth. Wisconsin is 4-0 in the series with the most recent win, 34-7, coming in 2021.

Wisconsin at Penn State, Sept. 26

The Nittany Lions (7-6, 3-6) are coming off their worst Big Ten season since going 2-6 in 2014. This will be their first conference game under new coach Matt Campbell. Penn State has won six straight games in the series dating to the 2012 seasons. In their last meeting with UW, the Nittany Lions scored a 28-13 win that proved to be the last straw for the Air Raid offense at Wisconsin.

Michigan State at Wisconsin, Oct. 3

Wisconsin will get a close look at the immediate impact former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is having on Michigan State in his first season. This will be a rare meeting with the Spartans, whom the Badgers have faced just four times since the programs played in the 2011 Big Ten championship game. The last meeting came in 2022 when the Spartans defeated UW, 34-28, in overtime. Michigan State went 4-8 last season with a 1-8 mark in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin at UCLA, Oct. 17

The Bruins, who are led by first-year coach Bob Chesney, are the last of the former Pac-12 members to face the Badgers. UCLA finished 3-9 overall and with a 3-6 mark in the Big Ten tied for 12th. The last time these teams met was memorable: the 2000 Rose Bowl when the Badgers scored a 21-20 win.

USC at Wisconsin, Oct. 24

The Trojans won four of their last five regular season games and tied for third in the Big Ten with a 7-2 record. Coach Lincoln Riley appears to like what he has coming up through the ranks because the program added just eight players from the transfer portal. One of them was former Badgers tight end Tucker Ashcraft. The Trojans come to Madison for the first time since 1966, when they rolled to a 38-3 win. The teams meet in 2024 when USC scored a 38-21 victory at home.

Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai celebrates with Paul Bunyan’s Axe after UW beat Minnesota in 2023. After back-to-back losses since, the Badgers will attempt to bring the trophy back to Madison in the final week of the 2026 season.

Wisconsin at Iowa, Oct. 31

The Hawkeyes have won the last four meetings, but the last two have been embarrassing setbacks for the Badgers. Iowa (9-4) finished 6-3 in the Big Ten, which tied for sixth place.

Rutgers at Wisconsin, Nov. 7

Wisconsin attempts to continue its mastery of the Scarlet Knights, who are coming off a 5-7 season that included a 2-7 mark in the Big Ten. They are 0-6 against the Badgers. All of those wins for UW came by double digits. Three were by 21 points or more, including the last matchup, a 42-7 Badgers win on the road in 2024. Rutgers last played at Camp Randall Stadium in 2023 when the Badgers won, 24-13

Wisconsin at Maryland, Nov. 14

The Badgers’ loss to Maryland on Sept. 20 signaled an alarm that the team was in trouble. UW lost that game, 27-10. Otherwise, the Badgers have owned the series. They are 4-1 against the Terrapins with three of those wins by double digits. Maryland (4-8, 1-8) has a lot of young talent it will rely on to build on a 2025 season with a promising start that ended with eight straight losses.

Wisconsin at Purdue, Nov. 21

The Boilermakers, who finished 2-10, went winless in Big Ten play during Barry Odom’s first season, though they played Minnesota, Rutgers and Michigan tough. In response to the season, Purdue hit the transfer portal hard, getting 29 commitments, the fourth-highest total in the league. The Boilermakers haven’t had any luck with the Badgers in recent years. Their last win over Wisconsin came in 2003.

Minnesota at Wisconsin, Nov. 28

The Gophers have posted back-to-back eight-win seasons and 5-4 marks in the Big Ten. They have also assumed control in the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe by winning four of the last five meetings, including a 17-7 victory last season. This will mark the 12th straight year the border rivals have played during the final week of the regular season.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: First look at 2026 Wisconsin Badgers football schedule

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