Wisconsin Basketball Announces Matchup with Big East Program

On Thursday, the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team came one step closer to releasing its full non-conference schedule. UW has officially announced the previously reported matchup between the Badgers and the Butler Bulldogs. However, fans hoping to make a trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse will have to make alternative plans.

Wisconsin and Butler play the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday, December 14th. Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Pacers, will host the Badgers and Bulldogs following Purdue and Texas A&M. Game times and television details will be announced later.

Wisconsin and Butler Men's Basketball Meet for First Time Since 2011 NCAA Tournament

The 2024 Indy Classic will mark the 32nd meeting between Wisconsin and Butler. The Badgers lead the series 17-14. Butler got the best of UW last time out, however, with a 61-54 victory over UW in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2011 NCAA Tournament en route to the national title game.

Much has changed for the two Midwest programs since that meeting. Butler's head coach in 2011, Brad Stevens, is now fresh off winning an NBA Championship as the General Manager of the Boston Celtics. Badgers basketball coach Bo Ryan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this April. Butler, which was at the time a Horizon League program, has since moved to the Atlantic 10, more recently joined the power conference ranks in the Big East, and celebrated the birth and retirement of live bulldog mascot Butler Blue III.

Butler is coming off a lackluster season. It finished 18-15 overall and lost 73-72 in the first round of the NIT to Minnesota. The Bulldogs, which finished eighth in the Big East last year at 9-11, have welcomed a few transfers to revamp their roster. Patrick McCaffery now joins Thad Matta's squad after spending four years at Iowa.  Jamie Kaiser Jr. has also found a new home with the bulldogs. The former top-100 recruit left Maryland after averaging 2.0 rebounds and 4.4 points on 26.9% shooting as a freshman.

Badgers Non-Conference Schedule Continues to Take Shape

Wisconsin now has seven confirmed or reported non-conference games on its 2024-25 schedule. In addition to its games against UCF and LSU/Pitt in the Mountain Division of the Greenbrier Tip-Off, UW has confirmed matchups with Arizona and Marquette.

There are four other reported games on the Badgers' schedule. A potential season opener against Holy Cross, a matchup with reigning Big Sky tournament champions Montana State, and a matchup with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. UTRGV will travel to Madison in conjunction with its participation in the River Division of the Greenbrier Tip-Off.

Related: Wisconsin Women's Hockey Receives Commitment From Slovak Standout Nela Lopušanová

Stay in the loop with all things Wisconsin Badgers by visiting AllBadgers.com for more updates.

Ready to join the community? Follow Athlon Sports on YouTube , Facebook , and X to join in on the conversation.

You can also follow Kedrick Stumbris at @KedrickStumbris on X.