The Wisconsin Badgers got some good news on the scheduling front when their rivalry game against Minnesota got moved to a prime-time Friday night, NBC broadcast game. This game is arguably one of the top rivalry games in all of the Big Ten. Actually, correction, in all of college football, it already generates extra eyeballs. Now it will have millions tuning in as NBC will be airing it, and it's on primetime.
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— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) May 27, 2026
▫️Weeks 2 & 3 are now locked in 🔒
▫️Battle for the Axe moves to Friday night 🪓 pic.twitter.com/FdYOZRHei9
Battle for the Axe is now on NBC primetime on Friday, November 27
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This clearly means that NBC is banking on this to be a good game. The expectations for both programs are on the rise, and the rivalry game is good even without winning seasons. Yet, both are projected to have six-win or better seasons. As it's the final regular-season game of the year for the Badgers and the Golden Gophers, it could have some potential ramifications, too.
Last season, the Battle for the Paul Bunyan Axe was in the middle of a day on a Saturday (12:30 pm) and aired on FS1. It was also played at Huntington Bank Stadium. This season, Wisconsin will get to host at Camp Randall, on primetime, and Badger fans will show out.
There will be some fans that don't love the Friday night game over the Saturday, but when it comes to primetime, end of the season, and over the air channel. It's a good deal. For fans who want to complain about that, just remember it could be on Peacock at noon. So, enjoy the fact that it's in a better spot, at home, and on a national stage.
In fact, if you look at the social media post above, you can see that Wisconsin vs. Eastern Michigan is on Peacock at 11:30 am. That's the brutal one that should always be avoided. Instead, the rivalry with Minnesota gets a spotlight in front of millions.
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