Spectator Sports
Madison doesn’t have any professional sport teams, but certainly the fan fervor of Green Bay Packer football goes far beyond its home city (less than a three-hour drive from Madison). Miller Park, the home of Milwaukee Brewers baseball, is a one-hour drive east, and Madison businesses, especially bars, have been known to occasionally organize a bus to a particular game. And finally, the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks represent Wisconsin on the basketball court.
However, that is not to say Madison is without spectator sports. Quite the contrary: The University of Wisconsin is an NCAA Division I school and a member of the Big Ten Conference, participating in a variety of sports with both men’s and women’s teams. With this comes the rabid fan base for the Wisconsin Badgers. Streets downtown and around Camp Randall Stadium or the Kohl Center will flood with red clothing on football and basketball game days. Visitors might be surprised how early in the morning tailgating for a Saturday football game often begins. Unless you are driving through downtown to see the game, it’s best to avoid the traffic. Big games for many of the UW sports will sell out accordingly while less important opponents, and less popular sports, might make getting tickets a lot easier.
Madison also has baseball. It’s not quite minor league, but it often feels like it. A day out at the baseball stadium is fun for the family with all the bells and whistles but without the strikeout for your wallet. For those interested in racing, the Madison International Speedway is just south of town and nearby Sun Prairie, home to Angell Park Speedway, hosts midget auto racing. For something really out of the ordinary, down and dirty, and more fun than a barrel of monkeys, check out the roller derby league. The Madison Marathon and Ford Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon draw people to the curb to watch and cheer on racers from around the country and even the world who come to challenge themselves and each other. The marathon takes place Memorial Day Weekend, while the triathlon is held each year in Sept.
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
2. Camp Randall Stadium
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (608) 262-1866
Address: 1440 Monroe St.
Description: Camp Randall Stadium is situated on the grounds of the former Civil War training camp (and sometimes prison camp) of the same name. Named for Civil War–era State Governor Alexander Randall it was built in 1917 and is the oldest stadium in the Big Ten. It started as a simple horseshoe with stands and a circling track, but has undergone several expansions and renovations. The field has been artificial turf since 1968, one of the first stadiums in the United States to make that change. Luxury boxes were added in the last construction project completed just before the 2005 football season. The stadium seats 80,321 and is quite the roaring good time on game day.
3. Goodman Softball Complex
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
Address: 2301 University Bay Dr.
Description: Robert and Irwin Goodman, the same Goodmans who donated graciously to the city’s public swimming facility, provided the lead gift on the Goodman Diamond (a play on words as the Goodmans are jewelers). The complex was completed in 1999 and received lights for night play in 2002. The grandstands hold around 1,600 fans and face Lake Mendota. The field is located just south of Nielsen Tennis Stadium and shares parking with that facility.
4. Kohl Center
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (608) 263-5645
Address: 601 West Dayton St.
Description: Opened in 1998, the center became the home of UW basketball and UW hockey which previously played in the Wisconsin Field House and the Dane County Coliseum (Veterans Memorial Coliseum at Alliant Energy Center), respectively. The Kohl Center has a changeable center floor for the two sports and seating capacity is variable: 17,190 seats for basketball, 15,237 for hockey.
5. Mcclimon Soccer Complex
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (608) 262-3256
Address: 702 Walnut St.
Description: This outdoor soccer pitch with a surrounding 400-meter, eight-lane polyurethane track is the site of all Badger soccer games and outdoor track and field events. The field is lighted for night play, and general bleacher seating has room for just over 2,000 fans. Additional grass seating is available on the embankment surrounding the bleachers, and spectators may bring blankets or lawn chairs. Total capacity for the complex is 4,500. Free parking (but only on weekends and after the work day on weekdays) is available in a large lot just north of the complex.
6. Natatorium
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (608) 262-3742
Address: 2000 Observatory Dr.
Description: The “Nat” is home to both men’s and women’s diving and swimming. The 25-yard pool has eight lanes and is equipped with a Colorado Timing System and eight-lane digital scoreboard. Divers use a separate 50’ x 40’ diving with three 1-meter and two 3-meter boards, as well as a 5-meter platform.
7. Nielsen Tennis Stadium
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (608) 262-0410
Address: 1000 Highland Ave.
Description: The stadium is named for the founder of the TV rating system, Arthur C. Nielsen, a Badger alum and former tennis team captain. The facility offers 12 indoor and six outdoor courts, plus five squash singles courts and one doubles court. It is located at the west end of campus behind University Hospital and has abundant parking nearby.
8. Porter Boathouse
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
Address: 680 Babcock Dr.
Description: Completed in 2005, the boathouse at the end of Babcock Drive sits on the shore of Lake Mendota. The Lakeshore Path passes between it and the lake. The 2nd floor exhibits some rowing history.
9. The Shell (Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center)
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (608) 262-4756
Address: 1430 Monroe St.
Description: Located next door to Camp Randall Stadium, the Shell hosts the Badgers indoor track and field competitions.
10. The Wisconsin Field House
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (608) 262-3354
Address: 1440 Monroe St.
Description: This was once the home of UW basketball until the Kohl Center opened in 1998. Now volleyball and wrestling have the run of the place. Located at the corners of Regent and Monroe Streets, the field house sits at the southern end of Camp Randall Stadium.
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
15. Rowing
City: Madison, WI
Category: Spectator Sports
Description: Rowing began as an intramural sport at the UW in 1874. By 1900, UW–Madison had its first national title, earned by the men’s freshman eight team. Since that time another 48 Intercollegiate Rowing Association championships have been awarded to the Badgers. They went undefeated in 2008. The women’s team got a later start in the 1970s, but they have also won national championships including four consecutive awards from 1975 to 1978, and their first National Collegiate Championship (first presented in 1981) in 1986. The women’s lightweight eight only missed one championship title from 2004 to 2008. Races are held on Lake Wingra.