Jump Around! A Fan’s Guide to Wisconsin Badgers Football Game Day

Wisconsin embraces its Badger State identity on game days for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers football team. Pack it up and pack it in before “Jump Around” hits with your Wisconsin Badgers tickets or Camp Randall Stadium tickets and all of the major tailgate tips and Badger game day traditions you’ll need to know below.

Pre-Game Traditions

If you want to be a Badger for a day, just come along to Badger Bash, the free, all-ages tailgate event on Union South outside Camp Randall Stadium. Launched in 1972, Badger Bash invites the public, regardless of team affiliation, for specialty food and drinks, games, activities and live music. Starting two and half hours before the game starts, Badger Bash also gives fans the chance to meet Bucky Badger and watch a performance by the UW-Madison Marching Band, who begin an hour and a half prior to kickoff.

Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Alumni Association hosts the Badger Huddle for both home and road games. Previously, a free, family-friendly tailgate called Badgerville was held on the Engineering Mall north of Camp Randall Stadium, though the event was discontinued in 2023 due to construction. Alternatively, the university introduced the free Field House Tailgate ahead of their 2024 homecoming game.

While enjoying the open tailgate environment, make sure to snap a picture under Wisconsin’s famous Camp Randall Memorial Arch before the team arrives two hours before kickoff. The “Arch March” has been a Wisconsin game day tradition since 2003 and features a procession of Wisconsin football players, coaches and staff under the Camp Randall Memorial Arch. However, the tradition has also become a rite of passage for guests, who must pass under the arch themselves to reach the stadium.

Tailgating Tips

Tailgating by Camp Randall Stadium keeps you close to the action, with free options like Badger Bash providing an inviting public space for game day prep. Aside from Badger Bash, tailgating on-campus for a Wisconsin football game is permitted in designated surface lots for guests who purchase a special events parking pass. Although grilling is permitted, note that propane and electric-powered devices are not allowed and any used charcoal must be disposed of off-site. For 11:00 a.m. games, parking lots typically open at 6:00 a.m., while later games feature a 7:00 a.m. opening.

Off campus, Badgers fans can gather along Regent Street, with paid lots offering tailgate space and several local businesses hosting their own. No set pregame plans yet? Check out the popular Regent Street tailgate on The Corner or a college fraternity tailgate along Monroe Street. Fans can also find pregame parties at Wisconsin football hotspots like Jordan’s Big Ten Pub, Lucky’s 1313 Brew Pub, SconnieBar and The Red Zone. For early breakfast bites, look no further than Mickie’s Dairy Bar or Greenbush Bakery only a few blocks from Camp Randall Stadium.

No matter the tailgate location, every guest should have the same tailgate essentials. Make sure your Wisconsin Badgers tickets, photo ID and any parking passes are packed securely, and bring enough hydrating and sun protection supplies for a full day. To comply with the Camp Randall Stadium bag policy, use a clear bag no larger than 4.5″ x 6.5″ for a clutch, 12″ x 6″ x 12″ for a clear tote or one gallon for a plastic storage bag.

If your tailgate is following potluck-style, impress guests with local specialties like bratwurst and fried cheese curds, or bring local beers like the Wisconsin-exclusive Spotted Cow from New Glarus Brewing Company.

Inside Camp Randall Stadium

Along with the incredible atmosphere before the game, fans follow just as many traditions inside the Wisconsin Badgers football stadium, including:

“Jump Around”

At the end of the third quarter, the stadium stands up for one of college football’s most uplifting traditions. Once House of Pain’s 1992 anthem “Jump Around” starts, fans from across the stadium take the lyrics to heart. So get out your seat and jump around!

Student Section

Wisconsin’s student section, encircling Camp Randall Stadium’s north endzone between Sections J and P, has built its own reputation with traditions, cheers and relentless enthusiasm during games. On a Badger game day, watch out for a slow-motion version of The Wave started by the students, and cheer along during first downs (see below), toward opposing teams and even sometimes against each other. Although not an official tradition, the rivalry between Sections O and P often features a friendly call-and-response of expletives.

Bucky Badger Push-Ups

Whenever Wisconsin scores, the red-sweatered mascot Bucky Badger takes on the team’s total score in push-ups. Started in 1991, the fitness tradition once required Bucky to perform a record-573 total push-ups following an 83-20 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in 2010. Meanwhile, the student section leads the stadium in counting each completed rep.

“Build Me Up Buttercup”

Don’t break our hearts, Badgers. During breaks in the game, usually in the second or third quarter, fans sing along to The Foundations’ 1968 hit “Build Me Up Buttercup.” The song became a Camp Randall Stadium staple in the late ’90s, largely credited to the song’s popular usage in 1998’s There’s Something About Mary. At games, the song often cuts out to let the crowd take the lead, so don’t skip a line!

First and 10 Wisconsin

That’s not an echo you’re hearing; any time Wisconsin earns a first down, Badgers fans certify the referee’s official ruling by cheering “First and 10 Wisconsin.”

Bucky’s Fifth Quarter

Celebrate a win or bounce back from a loss immediately after a home game with Bucky’s Fifth Quarter. Immediately after time runs out, the UW-Madison Marching Band delivers a postgame show at Camp Randall Stadium that lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. Peak performance moments include the school’s fight song “On Wisconsin,” “If You Want To Be a Badger,” “Hey Baby” and “You’ve Said It All.” For the finale, the band plays “Varsity” with choreographed theatrics as spectators sing along, then marches to the Mosse Humanities Building. The closing Wisconsin game day tradition was officially named in 1978.

Post-Game Activities

Once the Fifth Quarter has wrapped, take in some of Wisconsin’s cherished on-campus treasures such as Bascom Hill or the Memorial Union Terrace on Lake Mendota. From there, hike the Lakeshore Trail or continue on to State Street for bar-hopping and local food options like State Street Brats and Ian’s Pizza By the Slice.

Alternatively, head further to Frances Street for The Nitty Gritty and Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry or explore more of Madison’s finest food stops including Tornado Steak House on South Hamilton Street, Tipsy Cow on King Street (order the cheese curds) and The Old Fashioned on North Pinckney Street.

What Colors to Wear to a Wisconsin Football Game

One last tip: If you’re headed to a Wisconsin Badgers football game, be sure to don the team colors of red and white!

Wisconsin Badgers Game Day Schedule

Catch every moment of a Badger game day by checking out Wisconsin’s regular season football schedule.