Welcome to Badger Observer

A new journey begins to continue the same great Wisconsin Athletics coverage.

The more I’ve covered University of Wisconsin athletics, the more I’m like my all-time favorite pitcher.

And it’s what I’ll bring to my new venture, Badger Observer.

I religiously tuned into WGN and TBS during my formative years to watch Greg Maddux keep hitters off kilter. “The Professor” never tried to overpower hitters with a scorching fastball but flaunted an unparalleled command of the ball, painting the corners like an artist.

It’s how I feel my career covering the Wisconsin football team has gone, especially of late. I can write (and have written and will continue to write) about practice takeaways, along with players committing (and transferring), among other breaking news. But I’ve mixed it up with off-field stories about those within coach Luke Fickell’s program and with features about the recruits who are planning to become Badgers.

I also have diversified my coverage by interviewing numerous players from different Wisconsin programs, including its powerhouse volleyball team.

Today, I’m proud to announce the creation of Badger Observer, an independent, authentic, subscription-based newsletter whose mission is to go out, report, and tell unique stories of Wisconsin football, volleyball and recruiting.

You can subscribe for $7 per month or a “nice” annual cost of $69. Until Aug. 29, however, you can join the Badger Observer family for a smooth $50 annually.

Why I started Badger Observer at this moment is really quite simple: Local journalism and its long-established pillars are suffering. We’ve seen the erosion of publications who objectively cover the Wisconsin beat this year, and there have been seismic changes in terms of who’s leading and writing for the few remaining outlets.

I’ve covered Badgers football since the 2013 season and am an experienced reporter for a number of respected outlets over three coaching regimes. I’m more motivated than ever to not only continue reporting and telling plenty of stories inside Camp Randall Stadium and on the recruiting trail, but also emerge as a trusted voice from within the Field House.

Why should you subscribe to Badger Observer?

There’s an adage that I received from “Save the Cat,” a scriptwriting book that I’ve intertwined into my reporting and storytelling mantra:

Give me the same thing … only different.

There are several media outlets that cover Wisconsin athletics, and I respect them. But there’s room for an adept, alternative voice who has way too many ideas to keep bottled up. And rather than contract and shrink, I want to expand and grow.

Recruiting coverage will be different from outlets that cover it on a daily basis. It has to be. Wisconsin’s recent recruiting classes have shown how the Badgers’ brand is national. My goal is to actually go and watch commits far and wide in person, in addition to those recruits seen locally.

Football coverage will include variations of game previews and takeaways, but I’ll further explore film breakdowns and personnel groupings with the updates to Wisconsin’s offense and defense. Expect off-field, behind-the-scenes features as I did at the Wisconsin State Journal and BadgerExtra last season.

I hope to further immerse myself within volleyball coverage by publishing profiles and features on players and staff, not just focus on match recaps and takeaways. As it continues to be one of the most accomplished teams in Wisconsin Athletics in the past decade, their stories need to be told.

Badger Observer will be the place to find them.

The plan is to typically publish 3-4 newsletter articles a week, though there will be more during football preseason camp and when needed. The reporting and storytelling will come via written newsletter or video, two media that I’ve dedicated my life to in the past decade.

What’s behind the costs of Badger Observer?

I believe journalists need to be paid for their work, but it also should be affordable to consumers.

The $7 a month or $69 annually, and especially if you take advantage of the $50 sale, is a fair and mutually beneficial compromise for each side. I also need to offset costs for travel and the initial launch of the site. I’m aiming high for our goals and expectations, but even when modestly budgeting plans, that transparently could hit $4,000 or higher this fall.

Prices do take into consideration time off for rest, as we’re all humans and need a recharge.

The more subscribers Badger Observer receives, the more options it could allow me to not only travel to the Big House or hopefully see recruits from Washington to Florida, but also cover other Wisconsin programs. I’m keeping the scope to football and volleyball for now, but long-term plans include establishing the site on the basketball and hockey beats.

Trust me, I’d love to start these now. That can happen sooner rather than later with your help.

Badger Observer would love to collaborate with your business

If you have a business, Badger Observer is looking for sponsors as we start up this new venture. The Wisconsin fanbase is prominent and passionate, and you’d be getting in on the ground floor of this independent, journalistic endeavor.

Get in touch at BadgerObserver2025@gmail.com to discuss more.

What’s ahead and where to find Badger Observer

You’ll see one article already up on the site once it goes live, and you’ll see several articles this week from Platteville as Wisconsin football’s preseason camp begins. Make sure to follow Badger Observer on our new YouTube and Instagram feeds for small interview excerpts, recruiting highlights, and where we plan to be each week.

And like always, you can find me on Twitter at @JakeKoco.

Thanks for reading, and please allow Badger Observer the opportunity to show you how different our coverage can be.

Sincerely,

Jake Kocorowski
Founder, Reporter, Editor, and Dreamer
Badger Observer