Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin – Madison ( University of Wisconsin ) . They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) Division I level ( Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) sub - level ) , primarily competing in the Big Ten Conference for all sports since the 1896 - 97 season . Men ' s sports include basketball , cross country , football , golf , ice hockey , rowing , soccer , swimming & diving , tennis , track & field and wrestling ; while women ' s sports include basketball , cross country , golf , ice hockey , rowing , lightweight rowing , soccer , softball , swimming & diving , tennis , track & field and volleyball . The men ' s and women ' s ice hockey teams compete in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association ( WCHA ) , while the men ' s and lightweight women ' s crew team compete in the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges ( EARC ) . The athletic director is Barry Alvarez , former head coach of the football team . The Badgers team colors are cardinal and white , and the team mascot is named " Buckingham U . Badger , " known as " Bucky Badger . " The Badgers have several major on - campus facilities , including Camp Randall Stadium , the UW Field House , and the Kohl Center . Team name origin . Wisconsin was dubbed the " Badger State " because of the lead miners who first settled there in the 1820s and 1830s . Without shelter in the winter , they had to " live like badgers " in tunnel s burrow ed into hillsides . The badger mascot was adopted by the University of Wisconsin in 1889 . His name , " Buckingham U . Badger " , a . k . a . " Bucky Badger , " was chosen in a contest in 1949 . The emblem , a scowling , strutting badger wearing a cranberry - and - white striped sweater , was designed by Art Evans in 1940 and updated in 2003 . A live badger from Eau Claire was used at the first few football games that year , but proved to be too fierce to be controlled and was retired to the nearby Henry Vilas Zoo . For a time , the school replaced the live badger with a live raccoon named " Regdab " ( " badger " backwards ) . In 2006 , Bucky Badger was inducted as a charter member of the Mascot Hall of Fame ' s College Division , joining YoUDee from Delaware and Aubie from Auburn . Football . Wisconsin ' s football program has been among the most successful in the Big Ten since the early 1990s , when Barry Alvarez was hired as head coach . Under Alvarez , the Badgers won three Big Ten Championships and three Rose Bowls . In the 2005 season , Alvarez ' s last year as coach , the Badgers defeated the Auburn Tigers 24 - 10 , in the Capital One Bowl . In 2006 , Bret Bielema took over as head coach , posting a 12 - 1 record and defeating Arkansas 17 - 14 , in the Capital One Bowl . On December 5 , 2012 , Bielema announced his departure for Arkansas , stating that " I just felt it was time for me to try and spread my wings and fly a little bit further . ” Barry Alvarez was Bielema ' s handpicked successor , and he will coach the Badgers in their upcoming return to the Rose Bowl . The Badgers are 11 - 10 in bowl games , and have made 14 bowl appearance in the past 15 seasons , including a school record seven straight appearances . The Badger football program has had two Heisman Trophy winners : fullback Alan Ameche in 1954 , and running back Ron Dayne in 1999 . They came close in the 2011 - 2012 season , with their running back Montee Ball , who was a finalist but lost to Robert Griffin III ( RG3 ) . The Wisconsin Badgers football team plays its home games at Camp Randall Stadium . Built in 1917 , Camp Randall is the fourth - oldest college football stadium in the country and has a capacity of 80 , 321 . The student section at Camp Randall is considered by many to be one of the best in all of college football . ( http : / / sports . espn . go . com / espnmag / story ? id = 3531112 ) Among the stadium traditions is a well - known student celebration to the House of Pain song " Jump Around , " occurring at the end of the third quarter of every home game . The students also sing songs in unison including " Sweet Caroline " and " ( Build Me Up ) Buttercup " The University of Wisconsin Marching Band performs its " Fifth Quarter " after every game . Basketball . Men ' s basketball . Wisconsin has made it to the Final Four twice in its history — most recently in 2000 , and before that in 1941 , when it won the National Championship . The Badgers have participated in the NCAA tournament for the last 14 seasons ( 1999 – 2012 ) . Wisconsin tied for first place in the Big Ten in the 2001 - 02 season , along with Indiana , Illinois , and Ohio State . In 2002 - 03 the Badgers won the Big Ten outright , but then lost in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament to Ohio State . In the NCAA Tournament , Wisconsin lost to Kentucky in the Sweet 16 . In 2003 - 04 , Wisconsin finished second in the Big Ten . The team went on to win the program ' s first Big Ten Tournament title . However , the Badgers lost to 3rd - seeded Pittsburgh in the second round of the NCAA Tournament . In the 2004 - 05 season Wisconsin finished third in the Big Ten . In the 2005 NCAA Tournament , Wisconsin advanced to the Elite Eight by defeating 11th - seeded Northern Iowa , 14th - seeded Bucknell , and 10th - seeded North Carolina State . In 2005 - 06 the Badgers lost to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals , and to Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament . The highlight of the season was a win over intrastate rival Marquette . In the 2006 - 07 season the Badgers had victories at Marquette and at home against 2nd ranked Pittsburgh . Its lone non - conference loss was against Missouri State . On February 19 , 2007 , they earned their first No . 1 ranking in school history with a 26 – 2 record , but were defeated the next day by the unranked Michigan State Spartans . Entering the Big 10 Tournament the second seed , their first game was against Michigan State , who the Badgers defeated 70 – 57 . In the next round against Illinois , the Badgers won 53 – 41 and advanced to the final to face No . 1 - ranked Ohio State . The Buckeyes defeated the Badgers 66 – 49 . In the NCAA Tournament Wisconsin received a Number 2 seed in the Midwest bracket . The Badgers defeated Texas A & M Corpus - Christi . The second round of the tournament proved fatal for the Badgers , who lost to UNLV . Dick Bennett is largely credited with beginning the turnaround of the program . During his six - year tenure at Wisconsin ( 1995 – 2000 ) , the Badgers achieved a 91 - 68 record and had two 20 - win seasons . Only twice previously had the Badgers won at least 20 games in a season , the most recent being the 1940 - 41 championship season . Coach Bo Ryan has been in charge since the 2001 - 02 season and has led the Badgers to the NCAA Tournament every year . During the 2006 – 07 season , he not only achieved his 500th win as a college coach but the Badgers were also ranked Number 1 in the AP Top for the first time in program history . On December 12 , 2009 , Ryan earned his 200th win with the Badgers ( against 75 losses ) , defeating in - state rival Marquette . Badgers currently in the NBA include Devin Harris , Greg Stiemsma and Jon Leuer . The Badgers play their home games at the 17 , 190 - seat Kohl Center , where they have one of the best home winning records in college basketball . Ice hockey . The Badgers made history in 2006 when both the men ' s and women ' s hockey teams were crowned NCAA Division I National Champions . This was the first time a Division I school has won both the men ' s and women ' s crowns in the same year . The Badger men won their sixth National Championship on April 8 , 2006 , at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee , with a 2 – 1 victory over Boston College . The men ' s team had previously won the National Championship in 1973 , 1977 , 1981 , 1983 , and 1990 . The Badger women won their first title on March 26 , 2006 , at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis , with a 3 – 0 victory over the defending champion Minnesota Golden Gophers . This was the first women ' s hockey national championship for Wisconsin and the first time that the NCAA Women ' s National Championship trophy left the state of Minnesota . ( Minnesota - Duluth won the trophy in 2001 , 2002 , and 2003 ; Minnesota won it in 2004 and 2005 . ) The victory did , however , continue the Western Collegiate Hockey Association ' s dominance of the women ' s crown . On March 18 , 2007 , the Badger women captured the back - to - back National Championship with a 4 – 1 win over Minnesota - Duluth at Herb Brooks Arena , in Lake Placid , New York . The Badgers returned to the National Championship game in 2008 , but suffered a disappointing 4 - 0 loss at the hands of Minnesota - Duluth . In 2009 , the Badgers became the first team in NCAA history to reach the title game in four consecutive seasons , winning their third National Championship with a 5 - 0 victory over Mercyhurst . The Badgers went on to win their fourth and most recent national championship in 2011 , defeating Boston University 4 - 1 at Tullio Arena in Erie , Pennsylvania . Mike Eaves is the head coach of the men ' s hockey team , while Mark Johnson coaches the women ' s hockey team . Both coaches were teammates on the Badgers ' 1977 NCAA title team . Denver Pioneers head coach George Gwozdecky , the only other person besides Eaves and Johnson to win ice hockey national championships as both a player and head coach , was also a member of Wisconsin ' s 1977 national championship team . Both the men and women play home games at the Kohl Center in Madison . The women ' s team is scheduled to move to the new LaBahn Arena , currently being built adjacent to the Kohl Center , beginning with the 2012 - 13 season . National championships . To date , the University of Wisconsin – Madison has won 29 NCAA national championships : The men ' s and women ' s rowing programs have earned 30 non - NCAA national titles since 1900 . Trademark dispute . The University of Wisconsin has been involved in disputes with a number of high schools , including ones in Iowa , New Jersey , North Carolina , Ohio , Texas , and West Virginia , for trademark infringement . The issue involved the use of the Badger ' s athletic logo , the " motion W " . As a result of the litigation , the high schools involved were required to change their logos .