The Wisconsin Badgers will host the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Saturday night, and fans are in for a real treat with a rare night game at Camp Randall Stadium.
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Wisconsin should have no trouble handling Hawaii in the final game of the Badgers’ non-conference schedule, but any night game in Madison ranks among the greatest atmospheres in college football. Just ask ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt.
Head coach Paul Chryst agrees.
"“It certainly is a different atmosphere, the ones that I’ve been in. I’ve been lucky, the night games that I’ve been in here, even goes back to as a player, I think I was in one of the first ones and it was a great atmosphere.”"
There is a different feeling for a night game as students and fans spend all day in Madison awaiting the evening kickoff. As the kegs run dry and the final bratwurst reaches the bottom of an expanding stomach at State Street Brats, more than 80,000 fans fill the seats of Camp Randall.
Perhaps the greatest tradition in all of college football was born nearly 16 years ago during a night game in Madison. On Oct. 10, 1998, between the third and fourth quarter of the homecoming game against Purdue, Jump Around was born.
More than three years have passed since the Badgers have kicked off at 6 p.m. or later in Madison. The most recent evening contest at Camp Randall came on Sept. 15, 2012 against the Utah State Aggies.
Montee Ball rushed for 139 yards and scored a touchdown. Joel Stave made his Wisconsin debut as he replaced a struggling Danny O’Brien for the second half, but the most interesting part looking back to the game was the coaching situation.
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While Chryst was in his first year as the head coach of Pittsburgh, the Bret Bielema-led Badgers defeated Gary Andersen’s Utah State team 16-14 when Aggies’ kicker Josh Thompson missed a 37-yard field goal in the closing seconds.
Wisconsin has been successful in recent years during home night games, winning its last five under the lights. Highlighted in the streak is a 31-18 victory over No. 1 Ohio State in 2010 as students poured onto the field when time expired.
While win over Hawaii will not be as exciting as taking down the top-ranked Buckeyes, attending a night game at Camp Randall must shoot to the top of every college football fan’s bucket list.