The date for the annual Marquette–Wisconsin men’s basketball game has been set.
The 2026-27 renewal of the in-state basketball rivalry will be on Saturday, Dec. 5 in Milwaukee, according to the game contract the Journal Sentinel obtained via an open records request.
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The contract does not dictate a time or TV assignment. As a Marquette home game, MU has the television rights for the game. MU and UW signed the contract in September 2024 for the 2025 and 2026 games in the series, which has had at least one game every season since 1984-85.
“I don’t think it gets enough credit nationally for the rivalry that it is,” MU athletic director Mike Broeker previously told the Journal Sentinel. “I’m always amazed when people produce these top-10 rivalry lists and this one might go missing. I’ve been here 21 years and I can’t remember when a game hasn’t lived up to the expectation.”
It is the second known nonconference game for both teams. Greg Gard’s UW program also will play Auburn on Dec. 19 in Nashville, a team source previously told the Journal Sentinel. Shaka Smart’s Golden Eagles will play reigning national champion Michigan on Nov. 11 in Ann Arbor as the start of a home-and-home.
Marquette guard Nigel James Jr. (0) passes around Wisconsin forward Nolan Winter (31) during the first half of their game Saturday, December 6, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has held the advantage in the series recently, winning four of the last five games. MU won the last game at Fiserv Forum, though – an 88-74 result in 2024. UW holds a 72-60 advantage all-time.
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UW is coming off a 24-11 season and a Big Ten tournament semifinal appearance, but its 2026-27 group will look different after the Badgers lost four starters either to graduation or the transfer portal. MU is looking to bounce back from a 12-20 season and has retained Nigel James and other key players while adding via the portal.
It also marks another return for the Badgers to Milwaukee – the state’s largest city and a market that they have prioritized in recent seasons. UW played an exhibition against Oklahoma and nonconference game against Villanova at Fiserv Forum in 2025-26.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Date set for 2026 Marquette-Wisconsin men’s basketball game
