Wisconsin's basketball program dates to the 1890s, making it one of the oldest in the Big Ten. The 'Badgers' nickname refers to 1820s lead miners who lived in hillside tunnels 'like badgers' during Wisconsin winters. The Badgers won their only NCAA Championship in 1941 in their first-ever tournament appearance. The program experienced a modern renaissance with 19 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1999-2017 and back-to-back Final Four runs in 2014 and 2015. Bucky Badger's full name is 'Buckingham U. Badger,' from the fight song urging the team to 'buck right through that line.'
Named for 1820s lead miners who lived in hillside tunnels 'like badgers' during harsh Wisconsin winters; Wisconsin was dubbed the 'Badger State' as a result
Back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2014 and 2015, including a run to the 2015 National Championship game
In the 1970s, a Wisconsin assistant attorney general suggested replacing Bucky Badger with a cow named 'Henrietta Holstein,' but the idea went nowhere and the university kept Bucky — whose full name is 'Buckingham U. Badger'
The Wisconsin Badgers compete in the Big Ten and hold an all-time record of 1771–1296 (.577 winning percentage) across 123 recorded seasons dating back to 1898-99. The program has won 1 NCAA national championship (1941) and reached 4 Final Fours.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 24-10 | 14-6 (Big Ten) | Greg Gard | AP #23 |
| 2024-25 | 27-10 | 13-7 (Big Ten) | Greg Gard | AP #11 |
| 2023-24 | 22-14 | 11-9 (Big Ten) | Greg Gard | AP #6 |
| 2022-23 | 20-15 | 9-11 (Big Ten) | Greg Gard | AP #14 |
| 2021-22 | 25-8 | 15-5 (Big Ten) | Greg Gard | AP #8 |
| 2020-21 | 18-13 | 10-10 (Big Ten) | Greg Gard | AP #4 |
| 2019-20 | 21-10 | 14-6 (Big Ten) | Greg Gard | AP #17 |
| 2018-19 | 23-11 | 14-6 (Big Ten) | Greg Gard | AP #12 |
| 2017-18 | 15-18 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Greg Gard | |
| 2016-17 | 27-10 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Greg Gard | AP #7 |
| 2015-16 | 22-13 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan,Greg Gard | AP #17 |
| 2014-15 | 36-4 | 16-2 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #2 |
| 2013-14 | 30-8 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #3 |
| 2012-13 | 23-12 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #17 |
| 2011-12 | 26-10 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #9 |
| 2010-11 | 25-9 | 13-5 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #10 |
| 2009-10 | 24-9 | 13-5 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #11 |
| 2008-09 | 20-13 | 10-8 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #25 |
| 2007-08 | 31-5 | 16-2 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #6 |
| 2006-07 | 30-6 | 13-3 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #1 |
| 2005-06 | 19-12 | 9-7 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #15 |
| 2004-05 | 25-9 | 11-5 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #18 |
| 2003-04 | 25-7 | 12-4 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #10 |
| 2002-03 | 24-8 | 12-4 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | AP #18 |
| 2001-02 | 19-13 | 11-5 (Big Ten) | Bo Ryan | |
| 2000-01 | 18-11 | 9-7 (Big Ten) | Brad Soderberg,Dick Bennett | AP #10 |
| 1999-00 | 22-14 | 8-8 (Big Ten) | Dick Bennett | |
| 1998-99 | 22-10 | 9-7 (Big Ten) | Dick Bennett | AP #11 |
| 1997-98 | 12-19 | 3-13 (Big Ten) | Dick Bennett | |
| 1996-97 | 18-10 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Dick Bennett | |
| 1994-95 | 13-14 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Stan Van Gundy | AP #13 |
| 1993-94 | 18-11 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | Stu Jackson | AP #12 |
| 1992-93 | 14-14 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Stu Jackson | |
| 1991-92 | 13-18 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Steve Yoder | |
| 1990-91 | 15-15 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | Steve Yoder | |
| 1989-90 | 14-17 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Steve Yoder | |
| 1988-89 | 18-12 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | Steve Yoder | |
| 1987-88 | 12-16 | 6-12 (Big Ten) | Steve Yoder | |
| 1986-87 | 14-17 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Steve Yoder | |
| 1985-86 | 12-16 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Steve Yoder | |
| 1984-85 | 14-14 | 5-13 (Big Ten) | Steve Yoder | |
| 1980-81 | 11-16 | 5-13 (Big Ten) | Bill Cofield | |
| 1979-80 | 15-14 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Bill Cofield | |
| 1978-79 | 12-15 | 6-12 (Big Ten) | Bill Cofield | |
| 1977-78 | 8-19 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Bill Cofield | |
| 1975-76 | 10-16 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | John Powless | |
| 1974-75 | 8-18 | 5-13 (Big Ten) | John Powless | |
| 1973-74 | 16-8 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | John Powless | AP #13 |
| 1972-73 | 11-13 | 5-9 (Big Ten) | John Powless | |
| 1971-72 | 13-11 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | John Powless | |
| 1970-71 | 9-15 | 4-10 (Big Ten) | John Powless | |
| 1969-70 | 10-14 | 5-9 (Big Ten) | John Powless | |
| 1968-69 | 11-13 | 5-9 (Big Ten) | John Powless | |
| 1967-68 | 13-11 | 7-7 (Big Ten) | John Erickson | |
| 1966-67 | 13-11 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | John Erickson | |
| 1965-66 | 11-13 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | John Erickson | |
| 1964-65 | 9-13 | 4-10 (Big Ten) | John Erickson | |
| 1963-64 | 8-16 | 2-12 (Big Ten) | John Erickson | |
| 1962-63 | 14-10 | 7-7 (Big Ten) | John Erickson | AP #6 |
| 1961-62 | 17-7 | 10-4 (Big Ten) | John Erickson | |
| 1960-61 | 7-17 | 4-10 (Big Ten) | John Erickson | |
| 1959-60 | 8-16 | 4-10 (Big Ten) | John Erickson | |
| 1958-59 | 3-19 | 1-13 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1957-58 | 8-14 | 3-11 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1956-57 | 5-17 | 3-11 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1955-56 | 6-16 | 4-10 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1954-55 | 10-12 | 5-9 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1953-54 | 12-10 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | AP #18 |
| 1952-53 | 13-9 | 10-8 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1951-52 | 10-12 | 5-9 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1950-51 | 10-12 | 7-7 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1949-50 | 17-5 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | AP #15 |
| 1948-49 | 12-10 | 5-7 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1947-48 | 12-8 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1946-47 | 16-6 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1945-46 | 4-17 | 1-11 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1944-45 | 10-11 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1943-44 | 12-9 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1942-43 | 12-9 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1941-42 | 14-7 | 10-5 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1940-41 | 20-3 | 11-1 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1939-40 | 5-15 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1938-39 | 10-10 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1937-38 | 10-10 | 5-7 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1936-37 | 8-12 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1935-36 | 11-9 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1934-35 | 15-5 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Bud Foster | |
| 1933-34 | 14-6 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1932-33 | 7-13 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1931-32 | 8-10 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1930-31 | 8-9 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1929-30 | 15-2 | 8-2 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1928-29 | 15-2 | 10-2 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1927-28 | 13-4 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1926-27 | 10-7 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1925-26 | 8-9 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1924-25 | 6-11 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1923-24 | 11-5 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1922-23 | 12-3 | 11-1 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1921-22 | 14-5 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1920-21 | 13-4 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1919-20 | 15-5 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Guy Lowman | |
| 1918-19 | 5-11 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Guy Lowman | |
| 1917-18 | 14-3 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Guy Lowman | |
| 1916-17 | 15-3 | 9-3 (Western) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1915-16 | 20-1 | 11-1 (Western) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1914-15 | 13-4 | 8-4 (Western) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1913-14 | 15-0 | 12-0 (Western) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1912-13 | 14-1 | 11-1 (Western) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1911-12 | 15-0 | 12-0 (Western) | Doc Meanwell | |
| 1910-11 | 9-6 | 6-6 (Western) | Haskell Noyes | |
| 1909-10 | 9-5 | 7-5 (Western) | Haskell Noyes | |
| 1908-09 | 8-4 | 5-4 (Western) | Haskell Noyes | |
| 1907-08 | 10-2 | 7-1 (Western) | Emmett Angell | |
| 1906-07 | 11-3 | 6-2 (Western) | Emmett Angell | |
| 1905-06 | 12-2 | 6-2 (Western) | Emmett Angell | |
| 1904-05 | 10-8 | Western | Emmett Angell | |
| 1903-04 | 11-4 | Western | James Elsom | |
| 1902-03 | 5-2 | Western | James Elsom | |
| 1901-02 | 7-3 | Western | James Elsom | |
| 1900-01 | 1-1 | Western | James Elsom | |
| 1899-00 | 1-1 | Western | James Elsom | |
| 1898-99 | 0-3 | Western | James Elsom |
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| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|