4 thoughts from Wisconsin football's first fall camp practice
The Badgers are back ... to practice. Here's what stood out.
MADISON, Wis. — The start of fall camp was “a little different for” Luke Fickell this August.
Fickell’s now in his fourth season as University of Wisconsin football coach, and the previous three years the program made the hour trek for extended stays at UW-Platteville to begin preseason practices. That isn’t happening this year, as the team began fall camp Thursday inside the very familiar confines of Camp Randall Stadium.
“This is probably the first time in, I don’t know 10 or so years, that I’ve coached on campus as far as to start a camp and much of camp,” Fickell said. “So we’ve been very fortunate the last few years, obviously to go to to go to Platteville and even my time at at Cincinnati, we were gone for most all of camp.
“And so this is just a little bit unique and different.”
That said, he thought it was a “great first day” of practice as Wisconsin is exactly one month away from its 2026 season opener against Notre Dame up at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
“I think both sides of the ball, we had a lot of the things that we’re looking for,” Fickell said. “As far as a competitive spirit, even a little bit over-competitive spirit, but on both sides, I think they made some plays down the field, which is really nice. You can see a confidence level that’s building, but also a competitiveness, guys battling with each other.
“And that’s kind of what we’ve asked for as far as, not just the team and things, but as far as even leaders. Hey, we got to challenge one another as leaders, and we got to make sure that we do that every single day, because that sets the tone for everybody in the program and everybody out here. And so obviously it’s a good start. We have a hell of a lot more ahead of us, but you got to start somewhere, and this is a hell of a day to start with.”
Badger Observer was in attendance Thursday. Be sure to watch Fickell’s entire chat with reporters at the link above, but here are several thoughts from the first fall camp practice.
Expect more interviews with Badgers from Wednesday’s media day to drop on Badger Observer throughout the end of the week. We’ve already published videos with offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes quarterback Colton Joseph, and linebackers Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa.
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