UW-Madison students rarely need more reasons to look forward to the weekend. But this fall, fans will be treated to a few special weekends that might just make Monday to Thursday a bit more bearable.
Oct. 8-10, Homecoming: Border battle rolls into Madison as Badgers look to keep the axe
Homecoming is always a great time to be around Madison, with plenty of events around campus to welcome back alumni and celebrate the tradition of UW-Madison. A number of Wisconsin sports teams will be in action all over Madison as well, but the one that promises to attract the most attention is the Badger football team, which will try to secure Paul Bunyan's Axe for another year in their game against archrival Minnesota, Saturday at 11 p.m.
The last time the Border Battle came to Camp Randall, Badger fans were treated to a late-season classic as Wisconsin came back to defeat the Gophers on a cold November evening. Minnesota will once again try to take the Axe back from Wisconsin, who has held the trophy for six straight seasons.
Four of the past five meetings between the Gophers and Badgers have been decided by a touchdown or less, so despite low expectations for Minnestoa this season, the passion of the Border Battle should create an exciting game.
Elsewhere in Madison, the Wisconsin women's hockey team will take on Bemidji State in their WCHA opening series Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Kohl Center. Sunday afternoon will also see a Big Ten soccer doubleheader at the McClimon Complex as the Badger men's and women's soccer teams will take on Illinois and Michigan, respectively. The women's team will take on the Hoosiers at noon before the men face the Wolverines at 2:30 p.m.
A few hundred miles away, the men's hockey team that was one game away from a national title last season will kick off its year against the 2008 NCAA champions. The Badgers, who lost to Boston College in the title game in April, will face off against Boston University Friday in St. Louis and play in either the first- or third-place game Sunday in the Ice Breaker Tournament.
Nov. 12-14, On Ice: Two national hockey powerhouses face off on Kohl Center ice
Minnesota is the Badgers' biggest rival in every sport, but in hockey the Fighting Sioux are a close second. With 13 national titles between Wisconsin and North Dakota, the rivalry is one fought between two of college hockey's powerhouses.
The Badgers only faced the Sioux twice last year, coming away with three points from two December games in Grand Forks, N.D. This season, the teams will once again have just one series to do battle, this time in Madison. Between Wisconsin's Crease Creatures and North Dakota's large and vocal traveling fan base, the Kohl Center will be a loud and exciting place when the teams meet Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.
It might not be the biggest game on the schedule, but there will be football at Camp Randall Stadium Saturday. Indiana is far from a Big Ten powerhouse, but the Hoosiers gave the Badgers a run for their money in Bloomington, Ind. last season with a strong passing game that racked up 323 yards. Without the strong running performances of then-sophomore John Clay and then-freshman Montee Ball, both rushed for more than 100 yards, Wisconsin may not have escaped with the win.
The Badger basketball team will also be in action that weekend, as they continue their out-of-conference schedule Sunday against Prairie View A&M. The Panthers, who played to an 11-7 record in the SWAC last season, should provide another easy victory for Wisconsin.
Nov. 25-28, The Stretch: Match-up with Wildcats poses possible season defining weekend
Thanksgiving is normally a time to escape the chaos of school for a few days, spend a weekend back home with family and realize how lame your hometown is compared to Madison. But Badger fans might want to consider coming back to campus just a little early this Thanksgiving break, since the holiday weekend will be packed with great matchups.
Late November games at Camp Randall Stadium are not much fun for anything less than a die-hard football fanatic, as the wind and cold tend to weed out weaker fans. But with the potential implications of this matchup against Northwestern, Badger supporters should be excited to freeze in the student section Saturday.
Last season, the Wildcats' air attack killed Wisconsin, and despite multiple comeback opportunities the Badgers lost in Evanston, Ill., 33-31. If Wisconsin lives up to its preseason hype, it could be playing for a Big Ten title and spot in the Rose Bowl when Northwestern comes to Madison this time around.
A couple of days before that, the UW men's basketball team will take on Manhattan in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando on Thanksgiving Day. The Jaspers finished last season near the bottom of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 4-14 MAAC record, but the tournament is filled with other strong teams, including Notre Dame and California.
The tournament's championship game is scheduled for that Sunday, should the Badgers make it that far.
Next is a matchup that probably will not receive much attention from students but promises to deliver a great game, as the Wisconsin women's hockey team takes on Minnesota-Duluth at the Kohl Center Friday afternoon. In each of the past five years, either the Badgers or the Bulldogs have ended the season as NCAA Champions, making their games Friday and Sunday a clash of women's hockey titans.
A few hours after the women's team faces UM-D, the puck will drop on another good matchup as the Wisconsin men's hockey team goes up against Michigan in the College Hockey Showcase. The Badgers and Wolverines faced off twice last season, once at the Kohl Center and again at the Camp Randall Hockey Classic, with Wisconsin winning the outdoor contest.
The Badgers will only face Michigan once though, as Michigan State will come to the Kohl Center Saturday night. When the teams last faced eachother in the Showcase in 2009, Wisconsin emerged with a 7-3 win.
