The Big Ten has long been one of the premier conferences in college football, and the Wisconsin Badgers have been a part of it from the start. Granted, there have been rough moments along the way when cheap Wisconsin football tickets were easily available. However, since the 1990s, the Badgers have been one of the best teams in the Big Ten and a program in the national spotlight. Nowadays, fans should consider themselves lucky to get their hands on last-minute Wisconsin football tickets.

Instant Success

When the Big Ten formed in 1896, Wisconsin was the team at the top. The Badgers won the first two football championships in league history, as well as three of the first six titles under head coach Philip King. Unfortunately, the Badgers had a difficult time sustaining that success. After winning the Big Ten title in 1912, Wisconsin would only claim three more conference championships in the next 80 years. The Badgers had a nice run during the 1950s and 60s, only to suffer through a bowl drought that lasted from 1962 to 1981.

Barry and the Boys

In the 1990s, Wisconsin football was saved by Barry Alvarez. He inherited a program that won a total of nine games in the previous four seasons. But after going 1-10 in his first season in 1990, Alvarez had the Badgers on top of the Big 10 and winning the Rose Bowl by the 1993 campaign. It was a stunning turnaround that had a lasting impact on Wisconsin. Alvarez would win two more Big Ten titles and two more Rose Bowls before stepping down in 2005. More importantly, he laid down the groundwork for every Wisconsin coach that followed him to achieve similar success. The Badgers have a bowl streak that dates back to 2002 and has solidified their standing as one of the preeminent programs in the Big Ten.