Saturday’s clash between the UCLA Bruins and the Wisconsin Badgers isn’t just a meeting between two unlikely conference rivals, it’ll be a showdown between two of the better stories in the Big Ten Conference this season.
UCLA has taken the country by storm, starting the 2026 season 5-0 and climbing to No. 12 in the AP poll. Bob Chesney has revitalized the program, giving the Bruins reason for hope even with their starting quarterback set to miss the rest of the 2026 season.
Wisconsin has had some fun to begin the 2026 season. After a season-opening loss to Notre Dame, the Badgers have won four-straight and are coming off a bye for their trip to the West Coast to face the Bruins.
Saturday’s game will be the 12th all-time meeting between the two programs, with UCLA currently holding a 7-4 advantage. This week’s game will also be the first time that the two schools are facing off on the gridiron as conference rivals.
It’s been over a quarter-century since the Badgers and Bruins last squared off, with Wisconsin getting a 21-20 win in the 2000 Sun Bowl, in a game where DeShaun Foster led all rushers with 107 yards.
UCLA hosted Wisconsin twice at the Rose Bowl during the 1990s, with the Badgers coming out on top in both games, getting a 21-16 win in 1993 and then a 38-31 victory in 1998. The first matchup between the two schools took place way back in 1938, where the Badgers got a 14-7 win in Pasadena.
The last time UCLA got a win over Wisconsin was back in 1982, where the Bruins cruised to a 51-26 victory. Coincidentally, 1982 was also the last year that the Milwaukee Brewers made the World Series. Wisconsin’s baseball team punched their ticket to the World Series Thursday night in Los Angeles, so perhaps the Bruins are due for a win over the Badgers to even things out.
A win on Saturday wouldn’t be a shock for UCLA, as the Bruins will head into the game as 2.5 point favorites.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA Bruins football seeks first win over Wisconsin since 1982