Wisconsin basketball unveils 2025-26 Big Ten Conference schedule

Wisconsin basketball announced its 2025-2026 Big Ten Conference schedule on Tuesday morning. The slate, as is the case in the expanded conference, is jam-packed with marquee matchups.

The Badgers will play Minnesota, Ohio State, and Purdue both home and away next season. All three programs have had solid offseasons to date, so there’s a good chance those contests are tightly contested. Purdue is expected to be a top-three team in the nation entering the season, so that home matchup will be one to look out for.

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As for the rest of the home games, the notable opponents are Maryland, Michigan State, UCLA, and USC. Maryland just lost head coach Kevin Willard to Villanova, eventually hiring Buzz Williams as his replacement. Michigan State is the reigning Big Ten regular-season champion and always presents a tough test for Greg Gard’s program.

Both of the new Big Ten members from California, UCLA and USC, will face Wisconsin at the Kohl Center this season, which will be each of their first time doing so in conference. UCLA should carry a high ranking entering the year after the massive addition of New Mexico guard Donovan Dent. USC, meanwhile, will be entering its second campaign under head coach Eric Musselman. The Trojans have also impressed as of late, landing Rodney Rice and Chad Baker-Mazara from the transfer portal.

Wisconsin’s road schedule is tough, as expected. The Badgers will travel to four schools that made the NCAA Tournament last season (Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, and Purdue). These teams will again be some of the best in the conference, making those games pivotal in the Big Ten regular-season race.