Wisconsin men's hockey national championship foe revealed

The Wisconsin Badgers meet a familiar rival in a national championship rematch at the 2026 Frozen Four in Las Vegas

Apr 9, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Denver Pioneers defenseman Garrett Brown (5) moves the puck in overtime against the Michigan Wolverines in the semifinals of the NCAA men's ice hockey Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Las Vegas, NV — After advancing to the national title game with a win over one former WCHA conference rival, the Wisconsin Badgers will face another familiar conference foe in the final game of the season.

No. 4 Wisconsin will meet the No. 2 Denver Pioneers for all the marbles on Saturday after DU won the third-longest game in men's Frozen Four history, defeating the top-ranked Michigan Wolverines 4-3 in double overtime.

Wisconsin and Denver shared a conference beginning in 1969, when the Badgers joined the WCHA after reviving their program. Both remained in the league until 2013 when UW departed for the Big Ten and DU helped found the NCHC.

Badgers fans know the longtime rivalry with the Pioneers well. Wisconsin has played in front of 47 sellout crowds at the Kohl Center all-time. Five of those 47 contests pitted UW against DU, each in front of over 15,000 fans.

Saturday's game will not be the first time the old WCHA rivals meet in the tournament final. The Badgers won their first NCAA title in 1973 by defeating the Pioneers in the championship game.

Wisconsin owns a 76-66-13 record over Denver all time, but is winless in its last eight meetings with the Pioneers. In neutral-site affairs, UW boasts a 4-1-0 mark and is undefeated through three meetings with DU in the NCAA Tournament.

The national title game will be played at 4:30 p.m. Central inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The contest will be televised on ESPN.