Winter is a season for winners. UW Badgers athletic programs are proof of that. Winter sports at UW-Madison means basketball, ice hockey and wrestling. These sports have brought Madison some of the highest accolades in Badger sports history. They also provide gameday experiences that are at the top of many people's favorite winter things to do in Madison.
Jump around to learn more about winter sports and things to do:
HOCKEY
Women's Hockey
What's more winter in Wisconsin than ice hockey? How about ice hockey with the winningest team in Badger sports history? The Badger women's ice hockey program has taken home the most NCAA National Championship titles of any active UW Athletics program, claiming seven total titles. The most recent title was earned in 2023 when the Badgers became the lowest-seeded team ever to win the tournament. The team is also the winningest school in the entire NCAA for women's hockey with 24 consecutive winning seasons under its belt.
The women's team plays its regular season at the LaBahn Arena, with the exception of the annual "Fill the Bowl" game at the Kohl Center, where the team looks each year to crush NCAA attendance records. Currently, the women's hockey team holds the record for the top six most-attended women's hockey games in NCAA history. The largest attendance record was hit in 2017 during Fill the Bowl when 15,359 fans flocked to the Kohl Center.
The season runs from late September through February with the postseason kicking off in late February or early March depending on the season. Get your tickets.>
Men's Hockey
The closest thing to NHL hockey you'll find in Wisconsin is our beloved Badgers men's hockey team. The team follows just behind the women's hockey team in overall NCAA Championship titles with six total, the latest being earned in 2006. The men have made it to the Final Four 12 times in program history.
Badger hockey's most iconic tradition is participating in the "sieve chant." Sieve is a word for a plastic or wire mesh strainer. It's also used in the hockey world to mock goalies who allow a lot of goals. Fans chant "sieve" after every UW goal as the UW Band drums along to the rhythm. The student section also holds a "sieve" banner throughout the game. With the Kohl Center holding up to 15,000 people on sold-out nights, the chant booms on gamedays and is thought to be especially dreaded by opposing teams. Fans are also known for a more polite callout: saying "thank you" after each time the announcer declares how much time is left in a period.
The men's hockey team plays at the Kohl Center, the second-largest collegiate rink in the country. The arena's size helps contribute to the Badgers holding the national lead in hockey attendance 14 of its 15 seasons at the Kohl Center. The season runs from October through February with the postseason going through mid-April. Get your tickets.>
BASKETBALL
Women's Basketball
The Badgers women's basketball team has been trailblazing women's sports for more than 50 years and in that time has seen 14 post-season tournaments, 24 players score more than 1,000 points during their career and five players go on to play in the WNBA.
After making it to the quarterfinal round of the 2024 WNIT, head coach Marisa Moseley will return to the sidelines for the Badgers in the 2024 – 2025 season with the addition of assistant coach Frozena Jerro and the promotion of Margaret McKeon to associate head coach.
Having a veteran presence on the court, the Badgers return with 2024 Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Big Ten member Serah Williams, starting point guard Ronnie Porter and graduate students Natalie Leuzinger and Halle Douglass.
The women's basketball season runs from late October through early March with post-season March Madness going through April. The team plays at the Kohl Center. Get your tickets.>
Men's Basketball
Wisconsin men's basketball is one of the school's most storied athletic programs with its history starting in 1898, just six years after the sport was created and 50 years after the school was founded. The team started its legacy at the iconic Red Gym, which remains to this day one of the most treasured displays of architecture on campus, although no longer used as a gymnasium.
The team's only championship title was earned in 1941, however, the team has made four NCAA Final Four appearances in its history, including its 2015 run for the title that placed them in the championship game under leadership from Badgers superstars Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker.
Men's basketball season begins in late October and lasts until March. Post-season March Madness lasts from March through April. The team plays at the Kohl Center. Get your tickets.>
WRESTLING
Wisconsin's wrestling legacy began in 1910 and is still going strong today under Head Coach Chris Bono. In its history, the program has produced 18 NCAA Champions and 71 Big Ten Champions.
The Wrestling regular season begins in early November and continues through February. The team competes at the UW Field House.
Before and after the game
Food and Drink
You can find a lot of great restaurants and bars near the Kohl Center, LaBahn Arena and UW Fieldhouse. Campus favorites Nitty Gritty, Dotty Dumpling's Dowry and Ian's Pizza are all a short walk away on Frances Street. Nearby Regent Street, which connects the Kohl Center to Camp Randall Stadium, is home to a stretch of UW athletics-loving eateries like Butterbird, Jordan's Big Ten Pub, Lucky's 1313 Brew Pub, Sconnie Bar and Greenbush Bar. And for a truly unique dining experience right outside the arena, Bandit Tacos is a taqueria and coffee shop located inside a former train station.
Where to Stay
There are several nearby hotels that will allow you quick walking access to make gameday a breeze.