Greg Gard sends a message by scheduling Villanova at Fiserv Forum

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers are backing down from no one. While many Big Ten schools are scheduling a bunch of cupcakes in their non-conference schedules, the Badgers continue to add elite opponents. Today, it was announced that the Wisconsin Badgers will be taking on the Villanova Wildcats on Friday, December 19.

This tough matchup is added to an already loaded non-conference slate featuring BYU, Providence, Florida (or TCU), Marquette, and even an exhibition game against Oklahoma (which won't count on the record but proves the same point). It's going to be a gauntlet, and yet it will prepare the Badgers for the Big Ten season in which they plan to win it.

The Badgers are embracing a challenging 2025 non-conference slate with Villanova now on the list

Greg Gard also seems to be sending a message to Marquette fans that Milwaukee is for the Badgers, too. This is once again another matchup set in the Fiserv Forum, which is the home of the Milwaukee Bucks but also where Marquette plays their home games. While it's mostly Firserv looking to schedule more marquee games and generate extra revenue from teams like Wisconsin, it's a takeover for Wisconsin nonetheless.

""Any time you get the chance to schedule a powerhouse program like Villanova it's a win-win. We get the chance to measure ourselves in the non-conference and Badgers fans in Wisconsin get to see a big-time college basketball game. Much like our exhibition against Oklahoma, I'm excited for our fans and alumni in Milwaukee to get a game in their backyard. The atmosphere has been awesome every time we've played in that area and I have no doubt Fiserv will be filled with red for these games as well.""

Greg Gard

This will be the third time Wisconsin has taken on Villanova, and they have each beaten the other one time in the past. The last time they played was in the NCAA Tournament when the Badgers took down the No. 1 Wildcats 65-62 to advance to the round of 16.