Wisconsin football arrived at its first game of the season with new LED lights and a renewed sense of excitement for the season. However, the fans did not show up like they usually do for season openers. The announced attendance was 65,952, which is the lowest it has been since 1992 (excluding the COVID year, when attendance was limited).
What's the deal? Why did the Badgers have a drop in attendance this year? There are two major reasons, and neither is particularly surprising.
Announced attendance tonight at Camp Randall Stadium is 65,952. Other than the COVID year, that's the lowest at a home opener since 1992 (57,758).
— Jim Polzin (@JimPolzinWSJ) August 29, 2025
1. Wisconsin is coming off a losing season for the first time in 20+ years
It's likely not a coincidence that Wisconsin is experiencing this attendance issue for the first time in 30 years, given that it has been over 20 years since the Badgers last missed a bowl game. The team stunk down the stretch last year, making it less appealing than years past.
However, that's not the main reason the attendance was down. It's one reason but not the main one.
2. Wisconsin's first game was on a Thursday
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The biggest reason attendance dipped was due to scheduling, more than anything else. A weeknight home opener is brutal for fans who come from all over the state for game days. Friday is a workday for most people, and for the retired folks or that segment of the fan base, an 8 pm CST kickoff is too late.
Wisconsin did this to itself with the scheduling that occurred. An 8 pm CST start time on Thursday is absolutely brutal. Although it was nice to have the season start sooner, it was awful for attendance.
The game didn't end until after 11 pm. Which, even for younger folks, leads to a very late night and a tired Friday morning. There were plenty of fans who just watched it from home.