Game Day Wisconsin Football

Whether rediscovering the best team moments, or initiating into the histories and traditions of Badger fandom, this book about the University of Wisconsin–Madison football team is both a useful resource and cherishable memorabilia. Packed with anecdotes of the players, explanations about the beginnings of rivalries and traditions, detailed histories about the greatest players and moments in the school’s history, lists of the most successful seasons, recaps of the most exciting games ever played, and year-by-year statistics, this collectible book is the primary source for anyone eager to be an expert regarding anything about the Badgers. The book captures the essence of what it means to be a true Wisconsin fan: Camp Randall Stadium, “On Wisconsin!,” cardinal and white, the Paul Bunyan axe, back-to-back Rose Bowl victories, the Bud Song, Bucky Badger, Fifth Quarter, the “Motion ‘W’.”

It’s America’s most popular sport, played by thousands, watched by millions, and generating billions in revenues every year. It’s also America’s most controversial sport, haunted by the specter of life-threatening injuries and plagued by scandal, even among its most venerable personalities and institutions. At the college level, we often tie football’s tales of corruption and greed to its current popularity and revenue potential, and we have vague notions of a halcyon time--before the new College Football Playoff, power conferences, and huge TV contracts. Perhaps we conjure images of young Ivy Leaguers playing a gentleman’s game, exemplifying the collegial in collegiate. What we don’t imagine is a game described in 1905, not today, as "a social obsession--this boy-killing, man-mutillating, education-prostituting, gladiatorial sport." In The Opening Kickoff, Dave Revsine tells the riveting story of the formative period of American football (1890-1915). It was a time that saw the game’s meteoric rise, fueled by overflow crowds, breathless newspaper coverage and newfound superstars—including one of the most thrilling and mysterious the sport has ever seen. But it was also a period racked by controversy in academics, recruiting, and physical brutality that, in combination, threatened football’s very existence. A vivid storyteller, Revsine brings it all to life in a captivating narrative.

The University of Wisconsin football program has enjoyed its share of memorable moments, great players and legendary coaches during its nearly 120-year history. But Badger football had never seen and hasn't since experienced again a day like November 13, 1999, when so many elements converged to form the most exhilarating and satisfying day in the program's history. It was the day that running back Ron Dayne ran into the college football record books as the NCAA all-time leading rusher. It was a game that clinched the second of back-to-back Big Ten titles. It was an uncommonly warm, late fall afternoon that Wisconsin football fans refer to simply as the Ron Dayne game. And it was a day that helped propel Dayne on to the 1999 Heisman Trophy as college football's outstanding player.

Did you know that the Wisconsin Badgers have won 14 Big Ten titles? The Badgers have won more than 700 games. Learn more about this college team’s history, traditions, uniforms, team records, coaches, and legendary players in Wisconsin Badgers, part of the Inside College Football series.

Taking a decade-by-decade approach to the University of Wisconsin football tradition, this collection brings together over 40 stories from the most outstanding voices of the program. The spirit of Badger football is not captured by just one phrase, one season, or one particular game; instead, the student-athletes and coaches who made the magic happen over six decades blend their experiences to capture the true essence of their beloved school. From Pat Richter looking back on a career that included one of history's greatest Rose Bowls and Al Toon talking about playing for Dave McClain, to Joe Rudolph remembering the rebirth of UW football under Barry Alvarez and Brett Bielema sharing his passion for coaching, Wisconsin fans will relish the intimate stories told by the figures they have come to cherish.

From their humble beginnings as an intramural club in 1889 to Rose Bowl champions in 1994, 1999, and 2000, the Wisconsin Badgers have risen among the ranks of college football to become one of the elite teams in the nation. The University of Wisconsin football program can claim 11 conference championships, 16 bowl game appearances (8-8 record), and 7 National College Football Hall of Famers. The legendary names of Pat O'Dea, Alan Ameche, and Ron Dayne may span decades, but they are timelessly united in meaning to generations of the Badger faithful. Great coaches like Phillip King, "Ivy" Williamson, and Barry Alvarez likewise share a winning tradition that dates back more than 100 years. Each season Wisconsin football fans return to fill the seats--all 80,000 plus--at Camp Randall stadium to witness more history in the making.

Wisconsin Badgers is a beginner's history of the University of Wisconsin football team. Beginning with the program's early years, readers will experience the team's highest and lowest moments and meet the key players and legendary coaches who made it happen. Short biographies, fun facts, informative sidebars, and revealing quotes and anecdotes combine with action-packed photographs to enhance the Badgers' story, allowing your readers Inside College Football! Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. SportsZone is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

An unforgettable collection of the greatest Wisconsin football stories—newlyupdated!