Wisconsin Announces Matchup With Villanova During 2025-26 Season
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin and head coach Greg Gard are putting together a loaded schedule for the 2025-26 season. On Friday, the Badgers officially announced a non-conference matchup with Villanova, set for Dec. 19.
The Badgers and Wildcats will do battle at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Tip-off time and television information are still to be determined.
UW and Villanova last met in the 2017 NCAA Tournament Round of 32. The eighth-seeded Badgers upset the No. 1 seed Wildcats 65-62 in Buffalo, N.Y., advancing to the program’s fourth consecutive Sweet 16. The two schools also met in 1995, with Villanova coming out on top.
“Any time you get the chance to schedule a powerhouse program like Villanova it’s a win-win,” Gard said in a statement. “We get the chance to measure ourselves in the non-conference and Badgers fans in Wisconsin get to see a big-time college basketball game. Much like our exhibition against Oklahoma, I’m excited for our fans and alumni in Milwaukee to get a game in their backyard. The atmosphere has been awesome every time we’ve played in that area and I have no doubt Fiserv will be filled with red for these games as well.”
This marks UW’s first regular season neutral site game at a traditional basketball venue in Milwaukee since the 1989-90 season, when the Badgers faced Gonzaga at the Bradley Center on Dec. 1. Gard will be entering his 11th season as UW’s head coach. The Badgers won 27 games in 2024-25, the most for the program since that 2016-17 season, earning a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Turning the program over to first-year head coach Kevin Willard, who spent the last four seasons at Maryland. In 2024-25, the Wildcats went 21-15 overall, reaching the third round of the CBC.
Other non-conference opponents for UW this season include Marquette (Madison), BYU (Salt Lake City), Providence (San Diego), and either Florida or TCU in San Diego.
