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Bucky's 5th Quarter

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Latest Entries

3 guesses why Chris McIntosh suddenly left the Wisconsin Badgers

For many Wisconsin Badgers fans, Sunday was a day of healing and reflection after a particularly cruel NCAA Hockey title game for the Badgers on Saturday. But it was interrupted by an absolute shocker: Chris McIntosh was leaving his post as Wisconsin A.D. to immediately take a senior position as a Deputy Commissioner of Strategy with the Big Ten […]

What’s next for the Badgers after Austin Rapp’s return?

The Wisconsin Badgers got some big, albeit expected, news on Sunday evening when forward Austin Rapp announced his return for the 2026-27 season on social media. In today’s world, that has become the norm, with every year essentially being a one-year contract with the never-ending transfer portal. While Wisconsin lost John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas […]

Details emerge on Chris McIntosh’s departure as Badgers AD

The Wisconsin Badgers Athletics community got some surprising news on Sunday evening, as Athletic Director Chris McIntosh is stepping down from his post to accept a role at the Big Ten, leaving a major vacancy behind. Later Sunday and on Monday morning, more details emerged about McIntosh’s imminent departure. The former Badgers football player is […]

Badgers starting forward announces return after speculation

After weeks of speculation, it’s official: Austin Rapp is returning to the Wisconsin Badgers for his junior season. Rapp was a key piece for the Badgers as a sophomore, making 12 starts and averaging 23.2 minutes a game. He had 9.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists a contest this past season, while shooting 41.9 […]

Report: Chris McIntosh to step down as Badgers AD

In a stunning move, Wisconsin Badgers Athletic Director Chris McIntosh is stepping down from his role and is set to take on a role at the Big Ten, according to BadgerExtra’s Todd Milewski. McIntosh, 49, had been in his role as Athletic Director since July 1st, 2021, working his way up after re-joining the University […]

John Blackwell’s agent confirms top list of schools, commitment date

Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell’s transfer decision has been one of the most high-profile recruitments over the past week, as the star is being courted by some of the top schools in the country. Since his announcement to enter the transfer portal, there have been several schools linked to Blackwell. On Friday, Blackwell’s agents, Todd […]

5 players who could be fits for Wisconsin in the transfer portal

The Wisconsin Badgers are actively looking to improve their roster in the transfer portal, as they have six roster spots to fill this offseason after some senior departures and the transfers of John Blackwell, Aleksas Bieliauskas, Jack Robison, and Riccardo Greppi. While retention is at the forefront of the staff’s priority list, the Badgers will […]

Poll: Badgers still have a lot of needs to fill this offseason

The Wisconsin Badgers are one week into the transfer portal, but things have been quieter on that side as the staff continues to do their evaluations to try and find the best fits with the resources available. Of course, the Badgers have been quite busy looking to retain their top players as well, with efforts […]

Third period dooms Badgers in championship loss to Denver

The Wisconsin Badgers were the better team all day at T-Mobile Arena, but the final tally on the scoreboard goes to the Denver Pioneers as they scored two third-period goals to win the 2026 National Championship by a score of 2-1. The Badgers had their chances. After freshman Vasily Zelenov gave Wisconsin a first-period lead, […]

NHL

Wisconsin vs. Denver Game Thread: Chance to make history

The Wisconsin Badgers are facing off against the Denver Pioneers on Saturday with a chance to get their seventh National Championship. The game starts at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN. Wisconsin has done great so far since making the postseason, beating Dartmouth, Michigan State, and North Dakota en route to the championship game. Now, they’ll take […]

Badgers square off with Denver in pursuit of seventh national championship

The day is upon us. The Wisconsin Badgers lace up the skates this afternoon in Las Vegas in search of the program’s seventh national championship. Standing in their way is another old WCHA foe and the hottest team in hockey over the last decade, the Denver Pioneers. The Badgers (24-12-2) shut down North Dakota to […]

Wisconsin vs. Denver: Keys and Prediction

The Wisconsin Badgers take on the Denver Pioneers this evening in Vegas for the Badgers’ first men’s hockey title game since Obama’s first term, and B5Q’s resident hockey guru, Taylor Valentine, sat down with me to preview this intriguing matchup, which should be a really fun one. Ahead of the game, we gave our keys to a Badgers […]

NHL

How to watch Wisconsin’s Championship Game matchup vs. Denver

Championship Saturday is officially here, as the Wisconsin Badgers have a chance to add to the rafters when they face off against the Denver Pioneers. Wisconsin has had a fantastic run to the championship game, coming into the tournament as a No. 3 seed. They initially knocked off Dartmouth 5-1, thanks to a four-goal third […]

From flirting with disaster to the NCAA championship game: How Wisconsin turned its season around

In three years under head coach Mike Hastings, each year has delivered peaks and valleys. The Wisconsin Badgers ascended to the nation’s top ranking in 2023-24, Hastings’ first year at the helm, before a late-season collapse resulted in a first-round overtime loss to Quinnipiac. The valleys were lower in year two as they struggled to […]

How the Badgers have consistently hit in the transfer portal

The transfer portal is open, and the Wisconsin Badgers are players once again, as they look to fill out the rest of their roster following some portal departures this past week. The Badgers have been quite successful in the transfer portal in recent years, finding a star player in each of the past three seasons. […]

Hauser shuts down North Dakota to lead Badgers to championship game

January was a lifetime ago, and is now just a distant memory for the national championship-bound Wisconsin Badgers. The season was on thin ice following a six-game skid to Michigan State, Penn State, and Minnesota, but the Badgers bounced back with a new sense of purpose to make their first Frozen Four and title game […]

NHL

The Badgers are going to the National Championship

What. A. Game. The Wisconsin Badgers are heading to the National Championship Game after a 2-1 win over the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, escaping in a thriller to continue an impressive season for Mike Hastings’s crew. It was a strong start for the Badgers, who scored two goals in the opening period and outshot North […]

Wisconsin Badgers vs. North Dakota Fighting Hawks: Game Thread

The Wisconsin Badgers are taking on the North Dakota Fighting Hawks to kick off the Frozen Four on Thursday, with the game set to start at 4:00 p.m. on ESPN2 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Initially a team on the brink of making the postseason, the Badgers have made the most of […]

Old rivalry renewed as Badgers face North Dakota in Frozen Four

The Western Collegiate Hockey Conference is hosting a reunion this week in Las Vegas when the Wisconsin Badgers take on North Dakota in the Frozen Four, followed by a matchup between Michigan and Denver in the second game on Thursday night. All four teams were at one point members of the WCHA, with Michigan departing […]

NHL