Seven Wisconsin Badgers teams are ranked in the polls, but not football or basketball

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Mark Johnson and players watch the action in the second period of a WCHA first-round game against the Bemidji State Beavers on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wisconsin. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Wisconsin Badgers are having a strong year for sports, just not in the biggest revenue-generating programs.

The football program's slow start has been well documented, and the men's basketball team will have to prove itself once again with a tough schedule and plenty of roster turnover.

The rest of the athletic department seems to be doing much better.

Seven other sports on campus are ranked in their respective polls, led by the women's hockey team as the defending national champions and the No. 1 team in the country.

𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 📈📈📈
No. 1 » @BadgerWHockey
No. 5/19 » @BadgerTrackXC
No. 7 » @BadgerVB
No. 20 » @BadgerMHockey
No. 20 » @BadgerWrestling
No. 20 » @BadgerWSoccer pic.twitter.com/thzLq7vuT0

— Wisconsin Badgers (@UWBadgers) September 26, 2025

Wisconsin men's cross country is the next highest-ranked team at No. 5, but more attention has gone to the continued strength of the women's volleyball program that's ranked seventh.

Kelly Sheffield's program is seeing record ticket sales and attendance to start the season, with Big Ten play about to begin.

Women's cross country, women's soccer, men's hockey and wrestling are also among the Top 25 teams in their sports.

It's an impressive all-around showing from the school, but the absence of the football team and both basketball teams weighs heavy.

Fans will be looking for Greg Gard's lineup to become ranked as the season goes on, but expectations couldn't be lower for Luke Fickell's squad.

The pressure will be on athletic director Chris McIntosh to get the major revenue sports up to the level of the school's more successful smaller sports.

His job security might depend on it.

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