The Wisconsin basketball program will officially tip off against the Providence Friars on Nov. 27 during the Rady Children’s Invitational.
CBSSports’ Jon Rothstein had initially reported UW’s Nov. 27 match vs the Friars on June 13. The program then made it official on Thursday afternoon. Wisconsin will venture to San Diego, California, in a four-team field alongside Providence, TCU and defending national champion Florida.
Advertisement
If UW defeats the Friars, it will take on the winner of Florida-TCU on Nov. 28 for an opportunity to pocket another November circuit title. The loser of the Wisconsin-Providence game will compete in a third-place contest hours before the championship on the same day.
Greg Gard’s program has performed well in tournaments during the Thanksgiving window over the past two seasons. Captained by former Badger and current Utah Jazz wing John Tonje, UW captured a Greenbrier Tip-Off title with wins over Pittsburgh and UCF last November. With Tyler Wahl and Chucky Hepburn leading the way, Wisconsin also secured a first-place finish at the Fort Myers Tip-Off during the 2023-24 slate.
This season, Wisconsin will look to defeat Providence — which went 12-20 (6-14 Big East) a season ago — en route to a third consecutive mid-season tournament triumph. After closing the 2024-25 season ranked No. 96 in KenPom, the Friars brought in three transfer assets to contribute to the starting lineup. Those additions could reignite the program’s offensive engine.
In addition to the Rady’s Children Invitational action, Wisconsin will also suit up for high-profile non-conference tilts vs. BYU in Salt Lake City, Utah (Nov. 21), Marquette in Madison (Dec. 6) and Villanova in Milwaukee (Dec. 19).
Advertisement
With returners John Blackwell and Nolan Winter at the helm, high-profile transfer additions Nick Boyd, Andrew Rohde and Austin Rapp figure to round out UW’s starting unit this fall. All five playmakers will look to charge Wisconsin’s offense into another favorable position throughout the non-conference gauntlet, which kicks into competitive gear with BYU and Providence.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball 2025-26 schedule Providence game announcement
