Wisconsin is a big sporting state—from cheering on the Packers, Bucks, and Brewers, to being devoted to the Badgers and spending time in some of the state’s many sports bars. Because Wisconsin is such a sport-loving state, it makes it easy to support women’s sports throughout the state.
Despite the wins and excitement that can be found in women’s sports, they consistently receive less media coverage and engagement than men’s sports. But the tide seems to be changing—from exciting new players creating fandoms to novel opportunities for women to get involved in sports, women’s sports are picking up support throughout the country, including right here in Wisconsin. Women’s sports, which were once a niche market, are now a booming industry, with 46 billion minutes of women’s sports viewed in 2025.
Supporting women’s sports in Wisconsin has also never been easier: The state is home to several women’s teams to root for, and Wisconsin’s first-ever women’s sports bar opened in Madison last year. From speaking up for equal pay to cheering on a women’s team, there are many ways to support women’s sports in Wisconsin.
1. Cheer on women’s teams at games
One of the most obvious ways to support women’s sports is by going to games. While women athletes in Wisconsin don’t play on any of the state’s most well-known, storied teams, like the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, or Milwaukee Brewers, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of women’s sports teams throughout the state. There are teams of women athletes playing a wide variety of sports—from roller derby to ultimate and soccer—in many of Wisconsin’s cities.
Women’s sports are especially popular in Wisconsin at the university level, and have been for decades. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, women have been competing on the school’s athletic teams since the ’70s, including the Badgers women’s ice hockey team, which has won nine NCAA National Championships.
Here are some of the women’s teams throughout Wisconsin that anyone who wants to support women’s sports can go cheer on:
- Milwaukee Monarchs (ultimate)
- Brewcity Bruisers (roller derby)
- Madison Roller Derby (roller derby)
- Wisconsin Women’s Rugby Football Club (rugby)
- RKC Third Coast FC (soccer)
- Rally Madison FC (soccer)
- LOVB Madison (volleyball)
- La Crosse Steam (softball)
- Madison Night Mares (softball)
- Wausau Ignite (softball)
2. Visit women’s sports bars
There is no shortage of bars throughout Wisconsin, and many of them are sports bars, dedicated to airing a variety of sporting events and games on televisions throughout the bar. While there are plenty of bars that will show NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL games, among other sports and leagues, it has been harder to find bars that are dedicated to women’s sports. Thankfully, that problem is slowly being addressed with the rise of women’s sports bars, which make a point of showing women’s sports on their televisions and supporting women’s teams.
Currently, there is only one sports bar within the state that is dedicated to showing women’s sports: Bernell’s in Madison, Wisc. Owned by Rita Adair, the bar is named for her late wife, Bernell Hooker, a women’s sports advocate, collegiate women’s basketball coach, and the founder of the Milwaukee Aces, a semi-professional women’s basketball team.
The bar, which honors Hooker’s legacy in women’s sports, opened in Nov. 2025. Describing itself as women-based but not solely for women, the bar also offers a regular menu throughout the week, a weekend brunch menu, and live music.
3. Speak up for equal pay for women athletes
One of the biggest issues facing women in almost all fields, but especially in sports, is unequal pay. However, some strides are being made, especially in Wisconsin. Throughout the state, women are routinely paid less than men for doing the same jobs, but a recent study found that women coaches in Wisconsin are oftentimes earning more than men who are doing the same job.
At the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, women’s basketball coach Kayla Karius recently signed a new contract ensuring that she earns a base salary of $290,000 per season through 2034-35. Men’s coach Doug Gottlieb’s five-year contract secures him $215,000, and increases per season, but Gottlieb confirmed he took a lower salary so he could continue hosting his radio show on Fox Sports.
The best way for fans to advocate for pay equity for women athletes is to continue being fans, including watching games, buying merchandise and tickets, and advocating for better media coverage of women’s sports in local publications. Fans should also pay attention to pay equity issues and support teams and athletes who are seeking better pay.
4. Join a women’s sports team
Fans of women’s sports don’t just have to be relegated to the sidelines (or the women’s sports bars), and women certainly don’t have to be professionals, or semi-professionals, to be considered athletes. No matter what someone’s skill level or experience is, they can get out on the field, or the court, or the roller derby track, and join a women’s sports team for fun.
Recreational sports have several benefits for anyone who plays them, such as being a great way to exercise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), playing sports isn’t just great for physical well-being; sports and other physical activities also help with mental health through improved thinking and cognition and reduced anxiety.
Most cities offer opportunities to join recreation sports leagues, like Milwaukee, where women can join women’s softball or volleyball teams, or co-ed teams in several different sports.
5. Donate to women’s sports organizations
There are a lot of ways to financially support women’s sports in Wisconsin—buy a ticket to a game, or grab some of your favorite team’s merchandise—but one of the most impactful is donating to an organization that supports women’s sports.
Some Wisconsin-based organizations specialize in fostering a love of sports early and getting girls involved, such as Wisconsin All Stars Girls Baseball, which seeks to offer more opportunities for girls to play baseball. Funds donated to the organization go toward offering training clinics, workshops, tournament fees, mentoring opportunities, and uniforms. Alternatively, you can find a larger, national non-profit that has smaller, more localized chapters, like Girls on the Run Southeastern Wisconsin.
Some of the most popular sports played in Wisconsin are college sports, especially when it comes to cheering on the Badgers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Fans can support the school’s women athletes by donating to the school’s Women’s Sport Scholarship Fund, which raises money to provide scholarships to senior student athletes who have a minimum GPA of at least 2.75.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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