The Best Moments in Wisconsin Sports in 2022

From the Bucks, Badgers, and Brewers to our beloved Packers– sports unite us, win or lose.

Unfortunately, 2022 seemed to include an often-unexpected amount of the latter. But there were still many bright spots. 

Here are a few standouts:

1. Badgers Basketball Exceeds All Preseason Expectations to Grab a Share of the Big Ten Title for the Second Time in Three Years.
As the No. 3 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the men’s team beat Colgate and advanced to the second round for the sixth time under Head Coach Greg Gard. Gard won his second Big Ten Coach of the Year award and was a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year. 

While the team was left without reigning Big Ten MVP and first-round draft pick Johnny Davis this season, the Badgers still made history. Over the summer, the team traveled to Paris, where they went 4-0. And in the fall, they brought college hoops to the Brewers’ ballpark for the first time ever.

Click here to read more about the 2022-23 Badger Men’s Basketball Season.

2. Former Badger Jack Sanborn Impresses in His First Season with the Bears.
Sanburn joined the ranks of five other former UW linebackers currently playing in the NFL, despite not getting drafted. After a promising preseason, the 6’2″ standout made Chicago’s 53-man roster and an impression on coaches and fans.

During the team’s November game against the Lions, Sanborn led the defense with 12 combined tackles and two sacks– the first of his professional career. As the second-leading tackler on the University of Wisconsin’s top-ranked defense in 2021, Sanborn recorded career-highs in total tackles (89) and tackles for a loss (16), and he was named first-team All-Big Ten and an All-American.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus praised Sanborn as “very instinctual.” Click here to read more about the Badgers currently playing in the NFL.

3. Green Bay Ranks Among the Top 20 Sports Towns in America.
What makes a great sports town? The venues? The fans? The food? The bars? The options? The energy? WalletHub claimed to have found the answer in its list of 2022’s Best Sports Cities. 

And despite only being home base to one professional team, Green Bay came in as #17 on the list of 392 and also ranked as the third best place to enjoy an NFL game in the country. 

Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton, and Beloit also made the list, which you can read about here.