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Wisconsin Badgers will face Villanova at Fiserv Forum for non-conference regular season matchup

The Wisconsin Badgers now have two games on their schedule being played at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, this time a rematch of the 2017 NCAA Tournament against the Villanova Wildcats.
Lorin Cox|
Mar 18, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Ethan Happ (22) blocks a shot by Villanova Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo (10) as Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig (24) backs up the play in the second half during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Wisconsin won 65-62.
Mar 18, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Ethan Happ (22) blocks a shot by Villanova Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo (10) as Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig (24) backs up the play in the second half during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Wisconsin won 65-62. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers are starting to find a second home over at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Earlier this year, they announced an exhibition contest with Oklahoma over in the home of the Milwaukee Bucks, and now the Badgers will be playing a regular season game there too.

Wisconsin revealed on Friday that they will play Villanova in a non-conference matchup at the Fiserv on December 19.

The Badgers last played Villanova in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, meeting in the Round of 32 when Wisconsin upset the No. 1 seed Wildcats 65-62.

"Any time you get the chance to schedule a powerhouse program like Villanova it's a win-win," Greg Gard said in a press release. "We get the chance to measure ourselves in the non-conference and Badgers fans in Wisconsin get to see a big-time college basketball game."

Villanova hasn't been as dominant in recent seasons, making it to the NIT last year with a 21-15 overall record.

It will be just the third-ever matchup between the two men's basketball programs.

It's also an opportunity for the Badgers to play in an NBA arena and make the game a little more accessible for their fans outside of Madison.

"I'm excited for our fans and alumni in Milwaukee to get a game in their backyard," Gard said. "The atmosphere has been awesome every time we've played in that area and I have no doubt Fiserv will be filled with red for these games as well."

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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