The Wisconsin Badgers participate in some of the greatest rivalries in college football, according to The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman.
Specifically, Wisconsin’s annual matchup against Iowa slotted in at No. 22 in his recent ranking of the sport’s top 100 rivalries, while the famous battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe, Wisconsin’s rivalry vs. Minnesota, was up at No. 10.
The Badgers and Hawkeyes, first, have been playing since 1894, two years before the Big Ten Conference was initially founded. Wisconsin leads the all-time series 49-47-2, although Iowa has won the last three matchups and four of the last five. The last meeting was an evening to forget for Badgers fans — Iowa won 42-10 thanks to 329 team rushing yards, including 135 yards and three touchdowns from star running back Kaleb Johnson.
The storied Big Ten programs are set to meet in Madison this year on Oct. 11. The matchup will be the 99th in the series’ history.
That rivalry and lengthy series fall short, only when compared to Wisconsin’s annual battle with neighboring rival Minnesota. The Badgers and Gophers have met 134 times, dating back to 1890. Those numbers make it the oldest and most-played rivalry in college football. Amazingly, the all-time series is tied 63-63-8. Minnesota has won three of the last four matchups over Wisconsin, including a 24-7 triumph at Camp Randall Stadium to close the 2024 season. That result ensured the Badgers’ first non-bowl season since 2001.
Wisconsin’s rivalry games are among the longest and most played in the sport. But according to Dochterman, they don’t quite measure up to Florida vs. Florida State (No. 9), Ohio State vs. Penn State (No. 8), Miami vs. Florida State (No. 7), Nebraska vs. Oklahoma (No. 6), USC vs. Notre Dame (No. 5), Army vs. Navy (No. 4), Oklahoma vs. Texas (No. 3), Auburn vs. Alabama (No. 2) and Michigan vs. Ohio State (No. 1).
How I ranked college football’s top 100 rivalries: The methodology, the best ones left out and which ones are on the rise with realignment. https://t.co/qg8gm2yNy8
— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) July 7, 2025
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin football Iowa, Minnesota rivalry game ranking