In three full seasons under head coach Luke Fickell, the Wisconsin Badgers have made it to just one bowl game, which came in 2023 following a 7-5 regular season.

In the following two seasons, Wisconsin won just nine regular season games.

However, things are looking to change, as the Badgers are up to a 4-2 record this year with a statement win against Penn State in late September. 

With Wisconsin nearing a second bowl game under Fickell, ESPN has included the Badgers in their latest bowl projections, where Kyle Bonagura has the Big Ten side squaring off against UNC in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. 

The last time the Badgers were selected to the Pinstripe Bowl was back in 2018, when they were pinned up against the Miami Hurricanes. Wisconsin managed a dominant 35-3 win led by star running back Jonathan Taylor.

The Tar Heels are undergoing year two under legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick. In Belichick’s first season, UNC finished with a 4-8 record, including just two wins over power-conference opposition. 

Yet in 2026, UNC has turned a corner while managing a 4-2 record with losses to only Clemson and Notre Dame by a combined 19 points.