MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s players only need to go through their phones to provide evidence they’re fixing the culture issues that led to the end of the Badgers’ 22-year bowl streak last season.
Strength coach Brady Collins organized an offseason contest in which he asked players to send him a photo whenever they went out with a teammate. Players were awarded points for each photo they sent, with a prize going to the position group with the highest score.
The Badgers said those types of activities helped make them much closer than they were a year ago.
“At the start, it sounds kind of silly, but then you get into it, and it’s kind of like a game,” outside linebacker Aaron Witt said. “Then it becomes natural. It went from forcing yourself to hang out with your teammates to actually wanting to be around them.”
Wisconsin knew it had to improve its culture after going 5-7 last year for its first losing season since 2001, snapping what had been the longest active streak of bowl appearances by any Power Four team.
This isn’t quite what Wisconsin expected when it hired Luke Fickell, who went 53-10 with one College Football Playoff appearance in his final five seasons at Cincinnati. The Badgers’ chemistry lessons continue Tuesday when they continue a Fickell tradition and open preseason camp by spending 1½ weeks at Platteville, Wisconsin, about 70 miles from campus
“Last year, I think a lot of guys kind of just gave up near the end of the season,” linebacker Christian Alliegro said. “Guys weren’t really close together and picking each other up. I think the big thing this offseason was getting the guys together and hanging out.”
As it prepares to open the season Aug. 28 against Miami (Ohio), Wisconsin is relying heavily on several players who…
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Publish date : 2025-07-29 02:55:00
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