Wisconsin played a nationally televised game the first week of the season against Notre Dame on NBC. They proceeded to get beaten pretty handily and since haven't found themselves on any decent channel or time. It's been Big Ten Network, Peacock, Peacock, and back to the Big Ten Network. Because of this, their Nielsen ratings are still extremely high with only one week of data counted.
However, now, Wisconsin is about to have back-to-back primetime nationally televised games. The Badgers are taking on the UCLA Bruins this Saturday at 6:30 pm CT on NBC. It's the premium ticket that week in terms of under-the-lights, primetime football. Before that game even has been played, NBC decided to run it back with Wisconsin again.
Next week's game against USC is now also going to be on NBC at 6:30 pm CT. Two back-to-back primetime games clearly show that the stock on Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers is way up. Last year, the Badgers weren't getting any of these games, and now after a 4-1 start, it's two in a row and both against ranked teams. Wisconsin could even be ranked to play USC if the Badgers can upset UCLA in Pasadena.
Here’s an early look at the Week 8 schedule 👀 pic.twitter.com/4La5C9OXPu
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) October 12, 2026
Wisconsin is now starting to draw the primetime games, a turn of fortune for the program
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There's even better news for this draw. On Saturday, Wisconsin will be playing under the lights (eventually...it's only a 4:30 pm kickoff on the West Coast) in Pasadena, California, at the Rose Bowl. A great and historic venue and a great place to play for a primetime game. That's cool and fun for the Badgers. Then the following week, it's Camp Randall under the lights.
The only game that was remotely close last season to a primetime kickoff game at Camp Randall was against Iowa. Kickoff was at 4 pm CT which is not really primetime and it was on FS1 which is not really a premier channel.
You have to jump back to 2024 to find the last primetime, major network channel for Wisconsin. That game was at 6:30 pm CT against the No. 1 Oregon Ducks on NBC. Yet, now the network has picked up Wisconsin vs. LA School on back-to-back weekends.
Read also: Wisconsin's CFP odds just took a dramatic step forward after a week of chaos
There's some hope from the networks that both are good games and games that people around the nation will want to click on and watch. Wisconsin certainly looks like a team that can contend this season, beating Penn State in dramatic fashion in Happy Valley and then dismantling the Michigan State Spartans. Now the big test will be these next three games against most likely three ranked teams: UCLA, USC, and Iowa.
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