What are some of the best moments in Wisconsin history?
If you missed Part I of my Top 10 favorite Wisconsin Badgers sports moments, you can check it out here.
But, today we’re moving forward to Part II, which is loaded with absolute bangers and will hopefully help you feel some robust Badger pride on a day where you might need a little boost.
Bo Ryan finally reaches the Final Four
Widely regarded at the time as one of the best college basketball coaches never to have reached the Final Four, Bo Ryan found himself one win short of glory in late March of 2014.
But, that final step was daunting, as his squad needed to beat No. 1 seeded Arizona, playing in Wildcat alumni stronghold Anaheim. Ryan didn’t know yet that his team from next season would be even better, so this might have felt like a last-chance moment for him.
But, in an all-time classic Elite Eight game, Kaminsky, Dekker, Brust, and the rest held on for a razor-thin 64-63 win after officials had just botched a call (Arizona fans would claim in a clunky makeup move for one that went the Badgers’ way), giving Arizona one last chance that fell short with a Nick Johnson shot after the buzzer.
I’ll never forget the look on Ryan’s face—an incredible mix of pride and relief. His program had finally arrived at the big time.
Badgers reclaim glory in 1994 Rose Bowl
Some moments feel so magical, so pre-destined that they take on legendary status after they come to pass.
Wisconsin’s watershed 21-16 win over UCLA on January 1, 1994, was just such a moment.
An improbable, Hollywood script of a season culminating with a disrespected squad’s thrilling victory over a college football bully in their own house (that Badger fans used as an Airbnb) was deeply satisfying and might claim the crown as the top moment in modern Wisconsin sports history.
At a minimum, it cemented our very handsome coach, venerable AD, and slow/married transfer quarterback as Badger legends.
Mark Johnson’s squad finishes improbable late-season run with a title
While nobody would argue that it was their most dominant, or beautiful, championship, the ‘22-23 Wisconsin women’s hockey title run was breathtaking just the same.
In what was expected to be a rebuilding year by our own lofty standards, a team that had a meaty mid-season losing streak found its focus and balance just in time to dispatch elite rivals Minnesota and No. 1 Ohio State in clutch, white-knuckle victories to claim their preposterous SEVENTH national title in a sport that didn’t find its sea legs until the early 2000s.
Even for a program that has unquestionably been college hockey’s best for over two decades, this was still truly remarkable stuff. The fact that a deeper, more experienced Badger team fell short of the title just one year later against the same opponent speaks volumes about how amazing the 2023 title was.
Dick Bennett’s March Madness overachievers
I’m aware that the ‘13-14 and ‘14-15 versions of Wisconsin Basketball were both more talented/likely to win a national title than the plucky squad from ‘99-00 was, but the fact that Bennett’s team was such an afterthought before the tournament makes their run so much fun to think about.
Unranked and seeded eighth heading into March Madness after a middling 8-8 Big Ten season, the Badgers weren’t on many lists projecting success in The Big Dance.
But, starting with Fresno State, this team, led by a no-name cast of characters headlined by Mike Kelley and Andy Kowske, went on a run for the ages, dispatching No. 4 Arizona, No. 10 LSU, and No. 25 Purdue, and suddenly, shockingly were Final Four bound.
The fact that a generationally strong Michigan State team ended Wisconsin’s run in the semifinals was tough, but few Badger fans felt anything but pride and gratitude for this amazing group who put the state on its back for as fun a fortnight of college basketball as I can recall.
Badgers win 1977 men’s hockey title in OT
I’m going to need most of you to trust me on this one because it happened during the Jimmy Carter administration, but the legendary Badger Bob Johnson’s squad did something here that’s the stuff of dreams: it won a national title in OT, when Steve Alley tallied just 23 seconds in to vanquish Michigan, 6-5.
While there have been many memorable moments in Badger hockey history, it’s hard to top a skate-off natty goal. Johnson (whose son Mark has won seven titles for the Wisconsin women’s program) would leave the program in 1982 after winning a third Wisconsin title over Minnesota in 1981 to helm the NHL’s Calgary Flames. He tragically passed away from cancer in 1991.
I know there are numerous magical Badger moments that aren’t on this list. So let’s hear them in the comments, below.