Bret Bielema trying not to let return to Wisconsin become narrative against Badgers

When the Wisconsin Badgers host Illinois on Saturday, all of the talk will be about Illini head coach Bret Bielema returning to face his former team.

He's hoping to downplay that narrative and make the game more about the two teams on the field.

"There are a lot of things that have nothing to do with the game that have everything to do with Wisconsin," Bielma said Saturday. "It's just another game, but I get it, I have a lot of great memories up there. My wife and I obviously got married Madison."

#Illini at Wisconsin Badgers next week. Illinois HC Bret Bielema coached there from 2006-2012 before leaving for Arkansas.

At Wisconsin, he won three Big Ten titles and invited to three Rose Bowls.

"It's just another game, but I get it right, like I have a lot of great memories… pic.twitter.com/inanypgJCS
— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) November 16, 2025

For Illinois, the focus will be on avenging their last loss to Wisconsin in 2023, when Braelon Allen and the Badgers scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to win 25-21 on the road in Luke Fickell's first season.

Bielema said he and Fickell have known each other for a long time and share a lot of mutural respect. The 7-3 Illini won't be overlooking the Badgers despite their losing season.

"I know it will be a narrative, but I think it's more about just Wisconsin playing Illinois on a Saturday afternoon," Bielema said. "It's just another Big Ten football game."

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The noise around the head coach's return should be a little less of a distraction now that it's not his first trip back to Camp Randall Stadium.

Bielema led his Illini to a road win at Wisconsin in his return to Madison in 2022. Graham Mertz threw two interceptions and was sacked five times in the 34-10 loss.

Then-head coach Paul Chryst was fired after that game, with Jim Leonhard taking over as the interim for the rest of the season.

Sad, but true. The winning percentage of in-conference and out-of-conference games has declined every year at Wisconsin since Bret Bielema. pic.twitter.com/D4pRH38Mmc
— Wisconsinsane (@wisconsinsane) September 23, 2025

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Bielema went 68-24 in his seven seasons with the Badgers, leading the team to three straight Rose Bowl games from 2010 to 2012 before he left to coach at Arkansas.

He hasn't had quite the same success at his two stops since leaving Wisconsin, and the Badgers haven't found the grass to be greener since they moved on from Chryst.

Both sides will be seeking the last laugh on Saturday.

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