Wisconsin releases finalized 2026 football schedule

Wisconsin football released its finalized 2026 schedule on Tuesday night.

While the opponents and locations were already known, Tuesday’s release confirms the order of the matchups, specifically during conference play.

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Wisconsin opens its season with a contest against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin. It then continues with nonconference matchups against Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan before kicking off its Big Ten schedule on the road at Penn State. The Badgers then trade home and road games for the next several months, with a home matchup against Michigan State, a visit to UCLA, a home game vs. USC, a trip to Iowa, a home game vs. Rutgers and, finally, consecutive trips to Maryland and Purdue before the season finale against Minnesota.

Wisconsin will be looking for its first bowl appearance since the 2023 season. The team is just 9-15 over the last two years, with a 5-13 mark in conference play. While not easy, the team’s 2026 slate is more favorable than its 2025 gauntlet. Head coach Luke Fickell and his team will enter the season with expectations of a turnaround.