University of Wisconsin – Madison The University of Wisconsin – Madison ( also known as University of Wisconsin , Wisconsin , or regionally as UW – Madison , or Madison ) is a public research university located in Madison , Wisconsin , United States . Founded when Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848 , UW – Madison is the official state university of Wisconsin , and the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System . It was the first public university established in Wisconsin and remains the oldest and largest public university in the state . It became a land - grant institution in 1866 . The main campus includes four National Historic Landmark s . UW – Madison is organized into 20 schools which enrolled 29 , 153 undergraduate , 8 , 710 graduate , and 2 , 570 professional students and granted 6 , 040 bachelor ' s , 3 , 328 graduate and professional degrees in 2008 . The university employs 2 , 054 faculty members . Its comprehensive academic program offers 135 undergraduate majors , along with 151 master ' s degree programs and 107 doctoral programs . The UW is categorized as an RU / VH Research University ( very high research activity ) in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education . In 2010 , it had research expenditures of more than 1 billion dollars . In 2008 , the University ' s R & D expenditures were ranked the third highest in the nation . Wisconsin is a founding member of the Association of American Universities . The Wisconsin Badgers compete in 25 intercollegiate sports in the NCAA ' s Division I Big Ten Conference and have won 27 national championships . The University of Wisconsin – Madison is considered a Public Ivy , or a public institution that offers an education comparable to those of the Ivy League . History . The university had its official beginnings when the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature in its 1838 session passed a law incorporating a " University of the Territory of Wisconsin " , and a high - ranking Board of Visitors was appointed . However , this body ( the predecessor of the U . W . board of regents ) never actually accomplished anything before Wisconsin was incorporated as a state in 1848 . The Wisconsin Constitution provided for " the establishment of a state university , at or near the seat of state government . . . " and directed by the state legislature to be governed by a board of regents and administered by a Chancellor . On July 26 , 1846 , Nelson Dewey , Wisconsin ' s first governor , signed the act that formally created the University of Wisconsin . John H . Lathrop became the university ' s first chancellor , in the fall of 1849 . With John W . Sterling as the university ' s first professor ( mathematics ) , the first class of 17 students met at Madison Female Academy on February 5 , 1849 . A permanent campus site was soon selected : an area of " bounded north by Fourth lake , east by a street to be opened at right angles with King street , " [ later State Street ] " south by Mineral Point Road ( University Avenue ) , and west by a carriage - way from said road to the lake . " The regents ' building plans called for a " main edifice fronting towards the Capitol , three stories high , surmounted by an observatory for astronomical observations . " This building , University Hall , now known as Bascom Hall , was finally completed in 1859 . On October 10 , 1916 , a fire destroyed the building ' s dome , which was never replaced . North Hall , constructed in 1851 , was actually the first building on campus . In 1854 , Levi Booth and Charles T . Wakeley became the first graduates of the university , and in 1892 the university awarded its first PhD to future university president Charles R . Van Hise . The Wisconsin Idea . Research , teaching , and service at the UW is influenced by a tradition known as " the Wisconsin Idea , " first articulated by UW – Madison President Charles Van Hise in 1904 , when he declared " I shall never be content until the beneficent influence of the University reaches every home in the state . " The Wisconsin Idea holds that the boundaries of the university should be the boundaries of the state , and that the research conducted at UW – Madison should be applied to solve problems and improve health , quality of life , the environment , and agriculture for all citizens of the state . The Wisconsin Idea permeates the university ’ s work and helps forge close working relationships among university faculty and students , and the state ' s industries and government . Based in Wisconsin ' s populist history , the Wisconsin Idea continues to inspire the work of the faculty , staff , and students who aim to solve real - world problems by working together across disciplines and demographics . World War II . During World War II , University of Wisconsin was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V - 12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission . Expansion . Over time , additional campuses were added to the university . The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee was created in 1956 , and UW – Green Bay and UW – Parkside in 1968 . Ten freshman - sophomore centers were also added to this system . In 1971 , Wisconsin legislators passed a law merging the University of Wisconsin with the nine universities and four freshman - sophomore branch campuses of the Wisconsin State Universities System , creating the University of Wisconsin System and bringing the two higher education systems under a single board of regents . Student activism . In the late 1960s and early 1970s , UW – Madison was shaken by a series of student protests , and by the use of force by authorities in response , comprehensively documented in the film " The War at Home " . The first major demonstrations protested the presence on campus of recruiters for the Dow Chemical Company , which supplied the napalm used in the Vietnam War . Authorities used force to quell the disturbance . The struggle was documented in the book , " They Marched into Sunlight " . , as well as the PBS documentary " Two Days in October " . Among the students injured in the protest was current Madison mayor Paul Soglin . Another target of protest was the Army Mathematics Research Center ( AMRC ) , located in Sterling Hall , which was also home of the physics department . The student newspaper , " The Daily Cardinal " , published a series of investigative articles stating that AMRC was pursuing research directly pursuant to US Department of Defense requests , and supportive of military operations in Vietnam . AMRC became a magnet for demonstrations , in which protesters chanted " U . S . out of Vietnam ! Smash Army Math ! " On August 24 , 1970 , near 3 : 40 am , a bomb exploded next to Sterling Hall , aimed at destroying the Army Math Research Center . Despite the late hour , a post doctoral physics researcher , Robert Fassnacht , was in the lab and was killed in the explosion . The physics department was severely damaged , while the intended target , the AMRC , was scarcely affected . Karleton Armstrong , Dwight Armstrong , and David Fine were found responsible for the blast . Leo Burt was identified as a suspect , but was never apprehended or tried . While the student body has shed much of its radical image , the campus is still known for its progressive politics . In February 2011 , thousands of students marched and occupied the Wisconsin State Capitol during the 2011 Wisconsin protests . Timeline of notable events . Notable historical moments in the first 150 years of the University of Wisconsin – Madison include : Academics . The University of Wisconsin – Madison , the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System , is a large , four - year research university comprising twenty associated colleges and schools . In addition to undergraduate and graduate divisions in agriculture and life sciences , business , education , engineering , human ecology , journalism and mass communication , letters and science , music , nursing , pharmacy , and social welfare , the university also maintains graduate and professional schools in environmental studies , law , library and information studies , medicine and public health ( School of Medicine and Public Health ) , public affairs , and veterinary medicine . The four year , full - time undergraduate instructional program is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as " arts and science plus professions " with a high graduate coexistence ; admissions are characterized as " more selective , lower transfer - in . " The largest university college , the College of Letters and Science , enrolls approximately half of the undergraduate student body and is made up of thirty - nine departments and five professional schools that instruct students and carry out research in a wide variety of fields , such as astronomy , economics , geography , history , linguistics , and zoology . The graduate instructional program is classified by Carnegie as " comprehensive with medical / veterinary . " In 2008 , it granted the third largest number of doctorates in the nation . Rankings . International . In the 2011 QS World University Rankings it was ranked 41st in the world and received five excellence stars . It was ranked 17th among world universities and 15th among universities in the Americas in Shanghai Jiao Tong University ' s 2010 Academic Ranking of World Universities , which assesses academic and research performance . In the G - factor International University Ranking of 2006 , which is a re - analysis of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University data , the UW – Madison was listed 13th . " The Times Higher Education Supplement " placed it 27th worldwide , based primarily on surveys administered to students , faculty , and recruiters . Additionally , the professional ranking of world universities from École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris , based in part on the number of senior managerial positions occupied by alumni , placed UW – Madison 35th in the world . National . UW – Madison was ranked 11th among national universities ( with three institutions tied ) by the Center for Measuring University Performance in its 2007 report , with rankings based on objective statistics on research , faculty awards , student qualifications , and university assets . Of 38 programs at the UW – Madison that were included in the National Research Council ' s 1995 study , 16 ranked in the top 10 nationally . In 2007 , the " Chronicle of Higher Education " reported that 57 disciplines at the UW – Madison were in the top 10 in the U . S . in scholarly productivity , which placed it second after UC - Berkeley in the number of top ten programs . The UW placed 30th among national universities in " Washington Monthly " ' s 2009 rankings , which consider community service and social mobility , as well as research productivity . In 2009 , UW – Madison was ranked 6th in the TrendTopper MediaBuzz rankings by the Global Language Monitor . In 2011 , the Global Language Monitor increased the ranking to 1st in Internet Media Buzz . Madison ' s undergraduate program was ranked 42nd among national universities by " U . S . News & World Report " for 2012 and 10th among public schools . In both cases , UW - Madison is tied with another UW , University of Washington . The same magazine ranked UW ' s graduate School of Business 29th , and its undergraduate business program 13th . Twelve CEOs of S & P 500 companies hold degrees from the University of Wisconsin , putting it in a tie with Harvard and Princeton for first place . In 2011 , " USNWR " ranked UW ' s Law School 35th , while Vault listed it as 25th for 2008 . Other graduate schools ranked by " USNWR " include the School of Medicine and Public Health , which was 27th in research and 13th in primary care , the College of Engineering 16th , the School of Education 12th , and the La Follette School of Public Affairs 14th . Madison has been labeled one of the " Public Ivies , " a publicly funded university considered as providing a quality of education comparable to those of the Ivy League . Research . UW – Madison was a founding member of the Association of American Universities . In 2009 , the school received $ 952 million in research funding , placing it third in the country . Its research programs were also fourth in the number of patents issued in 2010 . The University ' s research programs were ranked fourth in federally funded research and second in nonfederally funded research among U . S . public universities in 2009 . The University of Wisconsin is a participant in the Committee on Institutional Cooperation , the academic consortium of the universities in the Big Ten Conference and the University of Chicago . The initiative is a research partnership that involves faculty and staff networking , cooperative purchasing , course sharing , professional development programs , study abroad , diversity initiatives for students and faculty , and sharing of library resources and information technology . The University of Wisconsin – Madison is one of thirty sea grant colleges in the United States . These colleges are involved in scientific research , education , training , and extension projects geared toward the conservation and practical use of U . S . coasts , the Great Lakes and other marine areas . The University maintains almost 100 research centers and programs , ranging from agriculture to arts , from education to engineering . It has been considered a major academic center for embryonic stem cell research ever since UW – Madison professor James Thomson became the first scientist to isolate human embryonic stem cells . This has brought significant attention and respect for the University ' s research programs from around the world . The University continues to be a leader in stem cell research , helped in part by the funding of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and promotion of WiCell . Its center for research on internal combustion engines , called the Engine Research Center , has a five - year collaboration agreement with General Motors . It has also been the recipient of multi - million dollar funding from the federal government . Letters & Science Honors Program . The L & S Honors Program serves over 1300 students in the College of Letters and Science ( the UW – Madison ' s liberal arts college ) with an enriched undergraduate curriculum . In addition to its curriculum , the program offers professional advising services ; research opportunities and funding ; and numerous academic , social and service opportunities through the Honors Student Organization . The Honors Program also supports several student organizations , such as the University of Wisconsin – Madison Forensics Team . Campus . Located in Madison , about a mile from the state capitol , the university is situated partially on an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona . The main campus comprises of land , while the entire campus , including research stations located throughout the state , is over in area . The University of Wisconsin – Madison Arboretum , a demonstration area for native ecosystems , is located on the west side of Madison . The main campus includes many buildings designed or supervised by architects J . T . W . Jennings and Arthur Peabody . The hub of campus life is the Memorial Union . The UW – Madison has its own police force , food service , hospital , recreation facilities , botanical gardens , public artworks , power facilities , and an on - campus dairy plant . Bascom Hall . As one of the icons on campus , Bascom Hall , at the top of Bascom Hill , is often considered the " heart of the campus . " Built in 1857 , a decorative dome that once sat atop the structure was destroyed by fire . The structure has been added to several times over the years . The building currently houses the office of the chancellor and vice chancellors . Bascom Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building within the Bascom Hill Historic District . Music Hall . This Victorian Gothic building , built in 1878 and initially named Assembly Hall , was designed to house an 800 - seat auditorium , a library , and a clock tower . Dedicated on March 2 , 1880 , the building originally held conventions , dances , and commencement ceremonies , along with its primary purpose of a library . After the library moved to a different building on campus , a portion of the hall was assigned to the School of Music in 1900 . Shortly after renovations in the early 1900s , the building was officially named Music Hall in 1910 . It remains an important music venue and is home to the university opera . This building also is home to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning , with part of the building being used as office space and classrooms . George L . Mosse Humanities Building . The George L . Mosse Humanities Building , located on Library Mall , was built in the late 1960s in the Brutalist style . Campus myth has it that the building ( with its poor ventilation , narrow windows , inclined base , and cantilevered upper floors ) was designed to be " riot - proof " in that it was inescapable by protestors and easily penetratable by a SWAT Team . Its seven floors house the History , Art , and Music departments . The most recent Campus Master Plan calls for it to be demolished and replaced with two other buildings . Van Hise Hall . Van Hise Hall is home to most of the languages departments of the university and the upper floors house the offices of the University of Wisconsin System ' s president and its Board of Regents . The building is often humorously touted by campus tour guides as the birthplace of the Elven language spoken in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy . At 241 feet and 19 stories , Van Hise is the second - tallest building in Madison ( after the State Capitol ) and one of the tallest educational buildings in the world . Because of its placement atop Bascom Hill it towers over the State Capitol as the building with the highest elevation in the city . Van Hise Hall was constructed in 1967 and its destruction is slated for sometime around 2025 as part of the university ' s campus master plan . Grainger Hall . Home of the Wisconsin School of Business , Grainger Hall was built in 1993 . In 2008 it underwent a major renovation and addition to assist the 12 MBA specialization programs that were housed there . The addition occupies the corner of Park Street and University Avenue , projecting the school ’ s crest outward in a location that once housed a bank . Grainger Hall also houses an array of student - run organizations , both undergraduate and graduate . There are major - specific organizations as well as organizations that welcome all students . Several of the clubs are Madison chapters of nationwide organizations , others are honor societies that require a minimum grade point average , while some exist simply to network with other students . The Wisconsin Union . The University of Wisconsin – Madison has two student unions . The older , Memorial Union , was built in 1928 to honor American World War I veteran s . Also known as the Union or the Terrace , it has gained a reputation as one of the most beautiful student centers on a university campus . Located on the shore of Lake Mendota , it is a popular spot for socializing among both students and the public , who enjoy gazing at the lake and its sailboats . The union is known for the Rathskeller , a German pub adjacent to the lake terrace . Political debates and backgammon and sheepshead games over a beer on the terrace are common among students . The Rathskeller serves " Rathskeller Ale " , a beer brewed expressly for the Terrace . Memorial Union was the first union at a public university to serve beer . Memorial Union is home to many arts venues , including several art galleries , a movie theater , the Wisconsin Union Theater , and the Craftshop , which provides courses and facilities for arts and crafts activities . Students and Madison community members alike congregate at the Memorial Union for the films and concerts each week . An advisory referendum to renovate and expand Memorial Union was approved by the student body in 2006 , and the university is currently undergoing the expansion . Union South , the newer campus union , was built in 1971 to better accommodate a growing student enrollment and was demolished in 2008 . A new " green " Union South located on the site of the old union opened April 15 , 2011 . It is a certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED ) gold building . The building contains several many dining options , an art gallery , climbing wall , bowling alley event spaces , and a hotel . The Wisconsin Union also provides a home for the Wisconsin Union Directorate Student Programming Board ( WUD ) , which provides regular programs for both students and community members . One of the most well - known members of WUD is the Wisconsin Hoofers , a club that organizes outdoor recreational activities . Dejope Hall . On May 22 , 2012 , the Ho - chunk Nation passed a resolution permitting the usage of the name " Dejope " for a new residence hall at the university . " Dejope " means " Four Lakes " in the Ho - Chunk language , and Native Americans have used this word to describe the Madison area for thousands of years . The residence hall was planned as a symbol of the ongoing cooperative relationship between University of Wisconsin – Madison and the Ho - Chunk nation and the building and its grounds contain imagery of the mounds and lakes in the area . A fire circle in front of the building contains plaques representing all 11 Native American nations in Wisconsin . Images of the four effigy mounds that are located on the campus ( Observatory Hill , Willow Drive , Picnic Point and Eagle Heights ) are embedded into the flooring of the building ' s main floor . An acrylic depiction of Lake Mendota is located in the conference room , and another artwork of glass and metal depicting the Four Lakes is located in the East Hall . Libraries . The University of Wisconsin – Madison has the 12th largest research library collection in North America . More than 40 professional and special - purpose libraries serve the campus . The campus library collections include more than 8 . 3 million volumes representing human inquiry through all of history . In addition , the collections comprised more than 101 , 000 serial titles , 6 . 4 million microform items , and over 8 . 2 million items in other formats , such as government documents , maps , musical scores , and audiovisual materials . Over 1 million volumes are circulated to library users every year . Memorial Library serves as the principal research facility on campus for the humanities and social sciences . It is the largest library in the state , with over 3 . 5 million volumes . It also houses a periodical collection , domestic and foreign newspapers , Special Collections , the Mills Music Library , a letterpress printing museum , and the UW Digital Collections Center . Steenbock Memorial Library is the primary library for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences , School of Human Ecology , School of Veterinary Medicine , UW - Extension and Cooperative Extension , and Zoology and Botany Departments . The University of Wisconsin – Madison Archives and Records Management Department and Oral History Program are also located in Steenbock Library . The library is named for UW professor Harry Steenbock ( 1886 – 1967 ) , who developed an inexpensive method of enriching foods with Vitamin D in the 1920s . This library is open to the public . Undergraduates can find many of the resources they need at College Library in Helen C . White Hall . Special collections there include Ethnic Studies , Career , Women ' s , and Gaus ( Poetry ) . The Open Book collection , created to support the extra - academic interests of undergraduates , contains DVDs , audio books , and video games , and paperback books . The library also has a coffee shop , the Open Book Café . College Library houses a media center with over 200 computer workstations , DV editing stations , scanners , poster printing , and equipment checkout ( including laptops , digital cameras , projectors , and more ) . The Kurt F . Wendt Library serves the College of Engineering and the Departments of Computer Sciences , Statistics , and Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences . In addition to books , journals , and standards , Wendt Library houses over 1 . 5 million technical reports in print and microfiche . Designated a Patent and Trademark Depository Library , it maintains all U . S . utility , design , and plant patents , and provides reference tools and assistance for both the general public and the UW – Madison community . Ebling Library for the Health Sciences is located in the Health Sciences Learning Center . It opened in 2004 after the Middleton Library , Weston Library , and Power Pharmaceutical Library merged collections and staff . The online catalog for UW – Madison Libraries is MadCat . It includes bibliographic records for books , periodicals , audiovisual materials , maps , music scores , microforms , and computer databases owned by over 40 campus libraries , as well as records for items that are on order . The UW – Madison Libraries website provides access to resources licensed for use by those affiliated with UW – Madison , in addition to those openly available on the World Wide Web . Museums . The Geology Museum features rocks , minerals , and fossils from around the world . Highlights include a blacklight room , a walk - through cave , and a fragment of the Barringer meteorite . Some noteworthy fossils include the first dinosaur skeleton assembled in Wisconsin ( an " Edmontosaurus " ) , a shark ( " Squalicorax " ) and a floating colony of sea lilies ( " Uintacrinus " ) , both from the Cretaceous chalk of Kansas , and the Boaz Mastodon , a found on a farm in southwestern Wisconsin in 1897 . The Chazen Museum of Art , formerly the Elvehjem Museum of Art , maintains a collection of paintings , drawings , sculpture , prints and photographs spanning over 700 years of art . The university ' s Zoological Museum maintains a collection of approximately 500 , 000 zoological specimens , which can be used for research and instruction . A special collection contains skeletons , artifacts , and research papers associated with the Galápagos Islands . Since 1978 , the UW – Madison Zoological Museum has been one of only three museums granted permission by the Ecuadoran Government to collect anatomical specimens from the Galápagos Islands . The L . R . Ingersoll Physics Museum contains a range of exhibits demonstrating classical and modern physics . Many of the exhibits allow for hands - on interaction by visitors . The museum also has a number of historical instruments and pictures on display . Effigy mounds . According to the University of Wisconsin – Madison campus information , " there are more distinct archaeological sites at the UW - Madison than on any other university campus . " The campus contains four clusters of effigy mound s : Observatory Hill , Willow Drive , Picnic Point and Eagle Heights . These sites , reflecting thousands of years of human habitation in the area , have survived to a greater or lesser degree on campus , depending on location and past building activities . Surviving sites are marked and fenced on the campus , ensuring that they are not disturbed . Wisconsin statutes protect effigy mounds by giving them a five - foot buffer zone . The Lakeshore Nature Preserve Committee is endeavoring to “ … safeguard beloved cultural landscapes , ” through aggressive enforcement of measures for the preservation of such zones and advocating for broader buffers where possible . Athletics . The University of Wisconsin – Madison sports teams participate in the NCAA ' s Division I - A . With the exception of men ' s and women ' s hockey and men and lightweight women ' s Wisconsin Badgers Crew , the university ' s athletic programs compete in the Big Ten Conference . Both hockey programs compete in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association , while the men ' s and lightweight women ' s crew programs compete in the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges . The school ' s fight song is " On , Wisconsin ! " . The school ' s mascot is Buckingham U . Badger , commonly referred to as " Bucky Badger " . The athletic director is Barry Alvarez . 2005 – 2006 marked the first time in school history that four Badger teams won national championships in the same academic year . In the fall , the men ' s cross country team won its fourth national championship . The winter season was highlighted by the men ' s and women ' s ice hockey teams both winning national titles . The year was capped off in the spring with the women ' s lightweight crew taking its third straight Intercollegiate Rowing Association national crown . In 2008 , both men ' s and women ' s crew teams claimed national titles . Football . The Badgers play college football at Camp Randall Stadium . The head coach is Gary Andersen . Before the fourth quarter of every game at Camp Randall , the crowd jumps around to House of Pain ' s song " Jump Around " . After every game , the University of Wisconsin Marching Band plays popular songs during the Fifth Quarter . The Badgers won three Rose Bowl Championships under Alvarez in 1994 , 1999 , and 2000 . In 2006 , Bielema led the Badgers to a school record 11 - win regular season and to 12 overall wins , defeating Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl . The Badgers lost to TCU in the 2011 Rose Bowl Championship on January 1 , 2011 . In the 2011 season , the Badgers defended the B1G championship title to go to the 2012 Rose Bowl Championship . The Badgers lost to Oregon 45 – 38 in the highest - scoring Rose Bowl of all time . Men ' s basketball . The Badgers have made 13 consecutive appearances at the NCAA Tournament , with a Final Four visit in 2000 , an Elite Eight appearance in 2005 , and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2011 . Badgers ' head coach Bo Ryan has coached the team since 2001 . The Badgers play at the Kohl Center , where the student fans are known as the Grateful Red . In the 2006 – 2007 season , the Badgers attained their highest AP ranking in school history ( # 1 Feb . 19 – 25 ) , garnering 35 first - place votes . The Badgers ' earned their only NCAA National Championship in 1941 . Women ' s basketball . The women ' s basketball team plays at the Kohl Center . The 2006 – 2007 season was a record - setting year , with the Badgers recording 23 wins and becoming the WNIT runners - up . Ice hockey . Badger ice hockey first became a men ' s varsity sport in 1922 . Although dropped after the 1934 – 35 season , it again became a varsity sport in the 1963 – 64 season . The men ' s team played in the Dane County Coliseum until moving to the Kohl Center ( capacity 15 , 237 ) in the fall of 1998 . The first ice hockey game played at the Kohl was the Hall of Fame game against the University of Notre Dame . The men ' s team perennially leads the nation in college hockey attendance , and set an NCAA attendance record ( averaging 14 , 430 ) during the 2006 – 07 season , surpassing their previous record set the previous year . Bob Johnson , nicknamed " Badger Bob " by fans , took over the reins in 1966 . Johnson coached the Badger men to three national championships in 1973 , 1977 and 1981 . Jeff Sauer coached the Badger men to two more titles in 1983 and 1990 . Mike Eaves , member of the 1977 NCAA title team , coached the Badger men ' s team to its sixth national championship in 2006 . The six Badger titles rank 4th in NCAA men ' s ice hockey history . Eaves ' 2010 squad advanced to the national championship game during the Badgers ' 11th appearance in the men ' s Frozen Four before bowing to Boston College . The school ' s strong ice hockey tradition gained another dimension with the addition of a women ' s team that began play in the 1999 – 2000 season . Coached by Mark Johnson , son of " Badger Bob " and another member of the men ' s 1977 title team , the Badger women won their first NCAA championship on March 26 , 2006 . The dual 2006 titles marked the first time that both the men ' s and women ' s Division I NCAA hockey titles were won by the same school in the same year . The women ' s team repeated as national champions in 2007 with a victory over the University of Minnesota - Duluth on March 18 at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid , NY . With a 5 – 0 victory over Mercyhurst in the 2009 Women ' s Frozen Four final in Boston , the Badger women added their third NCAA title . Rivalries . The Wisconsin Badgers most notable rivalry within the Big Ten is with the University of Minnesota , which is the most - played rivalry in Division 1 - A football . In their annual college football game , the teams compete for Paul Bunyan ' s Axe . The two universities also compete in the " Border Battle " , a year - long athletic competition in which each team ' s wins earn points for their university . Men ' s basketball rivalries include Michigan State , Illinois and non - conference , in - state Marquette . The long - standing football rivalry between the University of Iowa and Wisconsin – Madison was finally recognized in 2004 , with the winner of their game being awarded the Heartland Trophy . The Wisconsin – Madison men ' s and women ' s hockey teams ' most recognized rivals are the Golden Gophers of the University of Minnesota and the Fighting Sioux of the University of North Dakota . Other rivals include the University of Denver , Colorado College , Michigan Tech , University of Minnesota Duluth , and St . Cloud State . Mascot . The school mascot is an anthropomorphized badger named Bucky who dons a sweater affixed with the UW – Madison athletic logo ( currently the red " Motion W " ) . Beginning in 1890 , the university ' s first Bucky Badger was a live , temperamental and unruly badger who was quickly retired . Although the nickname of the Wisconsin teams remained the " Badgers " , it was not until Art Evans drew the early caricature version of Bucky in 1940 that today ' s recognizable image of Bucky was adopted . In 1949 , a contest was held to name the mascot , but no consensus was reached after only a few entries were received . In reaction , the contest committee chose the name Buckingham U . Badger , or " Bucky , " for short . At Wisconsin football games in the 1920s live mascots were used to inspire fans . The animals used included a black bear , a bonnet monkey , and live badgers . 1949 was the first year a student sporting a papier - mâché badger head appeared ; this subsequently replaced the use of live badgers . The team ' s nickname originates from the state nickname . In the 1820s , many lead miners and their families lived in the mines in which they worked until adequate above - ground shelters were built , and thus were compared to badgers . In 2009 , John Fromstein produced " Being Bucky " a documentary that followed the seven Wisconsin students who take on the role of Bucky Badger . The documentary was meant to show the life and background of being a mascot at a major university . " Being Bucky " won " Best Documentary Film " at the Wisconsin Film Fest and went on to play in local Wisconsin movie theaters . Student life . Over 750 student organizations or clubs register with the Center for Leadership and Involvement ( CFLI ) at UW – Madison each year . All - Campus Party ( ACP ) Every spring , the Wisconsin Alumni Association ( WAA ) and the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board ( WASB ) put on a free , alcohol alternative , week - long series of events for the entire student body . They partner with local businesses , student organizations , and national corporations to sponsor All - Campus Party ( ACP ) . This is a celebration of University of Wisconsin – Madison for students , created by students . The week includes featured events specifically designed and put together by members of WASB , in addition to many other events put on by the varying sponsors and student organizations . The featured events include : " Breakfast with Bucky " - A free , continental , sponsored breakfast for all students . There are multiple locations on campus where breakfast is served to accommodate as many students as possible . " All - Campus Idol " - With a format similar to the popular television show , American Idol , this singing talent competition searches for the best act on campus . Auditions are held looking for the top ten contestants to perform and compete on stage in front of a live audience . At the end of the show , the audience can text in their votes to determine the winner . " Wear Red Get Fed / Bucky State Fair " - Students are encouraged to wear red this day and receive free pizza in Library Mall . Rock wall climbing , Gladiator fighting , and other fun activities are there as well . Student organizations are encouraged to sign - up and host a booth in Library Mall and promote their organization as well . " Club Bucky " – A live DJ , free food , and lots of dancing ! A club atmosphere is provided for students as they dance the night away . " Buckystock " – Previously known as " Bucky ' s Blowout Concert " A free , concert in Library Mall for all . The artist changes each year ; previous performers include Violent Femmes ( 2005 ) , Common ( 2006 ) , Ben Kweller ( 2007 ) , Talib Kweli ( 2008 ) , Ok Go ( 2009 ) , We the Living , and the Grace Weber Band ( 2010 ) . Media . Student publications . UW – Madison is the only American university to have two competing daily student newspapers : " The Daily Cardinal " , founded in 1892 and " The Badger Herald " , founded in 1969 . " The Onion " was founded in 1988 by two UW – Madison juniors , and was published in Madison before moving to New York City in 2001 . It is also the home of " The Madison Misnomer " , an undergraduate comedy newspaper , founded in 2007 . UW - Madison is also home to one of only two nationally distributed undergraduate international studies journals in the country . The Journal of Undergraduate International Studies ( JUIS ) is a competitive publication that features peer - reviewed academic articles . It was founded in 2003 by David Coddon with the support of the University of Wisconsin – Madison Leadership Trust . Campus radio . The University of Wisconsin – Madison campus radio station is WSUM 91 . 7 FM , " The Snake on the Lake " . Historically , UW – Madison has been home to a collection of student run radio stations , a number of which stopped broadcasting after run - ins with the United States Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) . The current radio station , WSUM , began in 1997 in a webcast only format because of the prolonged battle to get an FCC license and construct a tower . This lasted five years until February 22 , 2002 , when the station started broadcasting over FM airwaves at 91 . 7 from its tower in Montrose , Wisconsin . The radio station currently has around 150 volunteer DJs and 8 paid managers . All UW – Madison students , as well as a limited number of community members , are eligible to participate in running the station . WSUM remains entirely free format , which means that the on - air personnel can showcase a large variety of music and talk programming at their discretion with few limitations . WSUM has garnered many awards from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association for their news , play - by - play broadcasts of Badger athletic events , and unique public service announcements . " Party school " image . In 2010 Wisconsin was named the number three " party school " by " Playboy " magazine , and number 12 by " The Princeton Review " . UW – Madison has long held a reputation for academics , political activism , and drinking ; the last of these can be understood in the context of the state ' s traditionally high level of alcohol consumption in general . The festive mentality is most notably displayed with the annual Mifflin Street Block Party and the State Street Halloween Party . The Mifflin Street Block Party , which began in the 1960s as a counterculture event , is today a spring semester finals week kickoff . Both events are commonly attended by tens of thousands of partiers , including many who come from out of state . Following a non - political riot that developed at the 1996 Mifflin Street Block Party , it was forcibly canceled by the city , but was later reinstated . At the 2011 party , two people were stabbed , leading the city to consider banning the party . The city decided to allow it to continue in the future , under a zero - tolerance policy . MTV ' s " College Life " . On April 13 , 2009 , MTV premiered the reality series " College Life " about the day - to - day lives of eight UW – Madison freshmen . The show was created by UW – Madison alumnus David Wexler . According to MTV , the students did the filming for the series , but not the editing . During production , the university pulled its support of the show . Subsequently , a disclaimer was aired at the beginning of each episode stating that UW – Madison does not endorse the program . Eight episodes aired as of February 22 , 2010 . Notable alumni and people . In 2008 , UW – Madison had 387 , 912 living alumni . Although a large number of alumni live in Wisconsin , a significant number live in Illinois , Minnesota , New York , California , and Washington , D . C . UW – Madison also had 15 , 479 alumni living outside of the United States . UW – Madison alumni , faculty , or former faculty have been awarded 19 Nobel Prizes and 34 Pulitzer Prizes .