Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Archives for Barry Alvarez

Big Ten set to return to football

By

Camp Randall Stadium (Photo by David Stluka)

The Big Ten Conference is going to have football after all.

Less than five weeks after pushing fall sports into the spring with player safety concerns in the middle of a pandemic, the conference changed its mind with University Presidents and Chancellors voting unanimously to open its football season the weekend of Oct. 23-24.

All 14 teams will play eight games over eight weeks before Big Ten Championship weekend December 19th.  At that time, the first place team in the West will play the first place team in the East for the Big Ten title.  The second place teams will face each other, the third place teams will square off and so on, giving each team a ninth game.  The new schedule is expected to be released by the end of the week.

The emergence of daily rapid-response testing that wasn’t available last month helped trigger the re-vote, as did recent [Read more…]

Big Ten expected to vote today on return to action in October (AUDIO)

By

The Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted 11-3 last month to shut down all Big Ten fall sports because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

According to CNN, the league’s presidents and chancellors are expected to vote Monday on whether its football teams can play a shortened season.

Reliable, rapid testing is reportedly what changed many schools’ minds.  Leaders of the member universities met over the weekend to discuss health and safety.

If the conference does decide to play, teams could hit the field by October 17, which is several weeks later than the other conferences.  Those other conferences are slated to play at least 10 games, while the Big Ten would only play eight, plus a [Read more…]

Wisconsin football and hockey hitting the pause button

By

Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez

In a statement from UW athletic director Barry Alvarez, the Wisconsin football and men’s hockey teams are taking a two-week pause as the campus deals with COVID-19 issues.

“We have been conducting our own COVID-19 testing of student athletes and staff on a regular basis since early June and will continue to do so,” Alvarez said in the statement.  “Since we began testing in Athletics, our decision-making has been guided by our own test results.  That continues to be our plan going forward.

“I can also confirm that our football and men’s hockey teams will take a two-week break from team activities per our COVID-19 testing protocols.”

The athletic department is not releasing COVID-19 test results broken down by team or date of tests.  But according to the Wisconsin State Journal, football and men’s hockey are the only two sports pausing activities due to test results. [Read more…]

Big Ten moving fall sports to the second semester of 2020-21 (AUDIO)

By

Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez

The Big Ten Conference pulled the plug on the fall sports season on Tuesday, making the decision to move football and all other fall sports to the second semester due to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said they just believe collectively there is too much uncertainty at this point in time in our country to really encourage student-athletes to participate in fall sports.

“One of the things we promised ourselves was that this was going to be a fluid situation, a day-to-day situation,” Warren said.  “And we would be in a perpetual state of observing, gathering information and we could do everything we possibly could to have fall sports.

“And I’ve said it from the first day that I started at the Big Ten, that the health and wellness, both physical and mental, of our student-athletes was going to be at the top of my list.”

The Big Ten wasn’t alone in making such a move.  The Pac-12 postponed fall sports through the end of the year. [Read more…]

Camp Randall renovation put on hold

By

Camp Randall Stadium (Photo by David Stluka)

Renovation of the south end zone seating area inside Camp Randall Stadium is being put on hold temporarily.

The project was due to begin at the conclusion of the 2020 football season and open by the start of the 2021 campaign.  It is now more likely that work will begin sometime in 2021 with a target opening for the 2022 campaign.

“We are obviously operating in a time of great uncertainty,” said Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez.  “Given our construction timeline and the timing around when decisions had to be made, we felt it was best to be prudent and delay the project for a bit.  I have been thrilled with how strong sales have been thus far and I want to thank those who have already committed to purchasing seating in the new south end zone, leading to over 75 percent of loge box inventory being committed to date.  Once finished, this will be a transformative project for Camp Randall.”

Known as the CR Future project, the renovation will allow for a more interactive and engaging fan experience through enhanced seating options, including loge boxes and club seats, access to indoor and outdoor hospitality clubs, climate-controlled amenities, expanded premium food and beverage offerings and best-in-class service and operations.

 

UW making a statement with uniform logo

By

Wisconsin student-athletes will be showing their solidarity with Black and other underrepresented communities on campus when Badger sports teams return to action.

UW Athletics uniforms will include a university crest logo with a black “W,” a show of support, inclusion and unity from Badger student-athletes, the UW Athletic Department and UW-Madison as a whole.

“I have previously stated my commitment to taking meaningful steps involving issues of diversity and inclusion in our athletic department,” UW Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez said.  “There is plenty of work to do, but I am pleased we will be able to show our support in a way that is important to our student-athletes.”

Earlier this summer a number of current and former Badger student-athletes publicly stated their desire to wear the university’s “Crest W” on their athletic uniforms.  The “W” in the crest is white, but will be changed to black on Badger athletics uniforms.  UW Athletics officials worked with student-athletes to also include a black Motion W that will also have a presence on select athletic apparel.

 

Wisconsin not allowing senior spring-sport athletes an extra year of eligibility (AUDIO)

By

Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez

The University of Wisconsin will not be allowing senior spring-sport athletes an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 closing down their seasons early.

On his monthly radio show Wednesday night on the Badger Sports Network at Learfield IMG College, UW athletic director Barry Alvarez said the NCAA overreacted in restoring a year of eligibility to spring sports students amid the coronavirus-related shutdown.

The university issued a statement on Thursday afternoon and it said, “The NCAA Division I Council’s vote last month to allow institutions to provide an additional season of competition and extend the period of eligibility for spring-sport student-athletes comes at a time of unprecedented uncertainty in college athletics.  UW Athletics places tremendous emphasis on its student-athletes earning an undergraduate degree and having a great competitive experience.  In the case of the UW spring student-athletes to which the NCAA’s waiver would apply, a substantial percentage of the student-athletes are scheduled to earn their degrees before next spring.  In spite of today’s [Read more…]

Cephus rejoins Wisconsin football team

By

Earlier today, the University of Wisconsin revealed that Quintez Cephus has been reinstated as a student, allowing him to return to school.  As anticipated, Cephus has also officially rejoined the football program.  A statement from UW-Athletics said they are working through eligibility issues with Cephus before he can participate in a game.

The statement continued by saying, UW Athletics takes allegations of sexual misconduct very seriously.  We know that sexual assault and sexual harassment have profound impacts on college campuses.

“We have a robust educational program around sexual misconduct in place for our student-athletes and we will continue those efforts going forward,” Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez said.

 

Wisconsin cancel’s spring football game

By

Camp Randall Stadium: File Photo by David Stluka)

The weather forecast in Madison is calling for a strong chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms on Friday during the late afternoon and evening.  The Wisconsin Athletic Department has decided to cancel Friday’s Spring Football Game, which was set to start at 6 p.m.  The game will not be rescheduled.

“The safety of our student-athletes and fans is our utmost priority,” UW Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez said.  “The weather forecast has been pretty consistent in calling for a good chance of rain and thunderstorms on Friday.  We thought it was best to make the call early to give the numerous groups involved in the game, including our team, our fans, our media partners and staff, notice of the cancellation as soon as possible.”

Fans who purchased tickets for the Spring Game in advance will receive refunds.  Those who purchased tickets with a credit or debit card will have their purchase automatically refunded.  No action is required.

Thomas calls it quits in Cleveland (AUDIO)

By

Barry Alvarez says Joe Thomas is the best lineman to play at Wisconsin

Former Wisconsin Badger Joe Thomas announced he is retiring after 11 seasons in the NFL.

The 10-time Pro Bowler with the Cleveland Browns made the decision after spending several months contemplating his future.

Thomas had played 10,363 consecutive snaps before tearing his left triceps during an Oct. 22 game against Tennessee.  It’s believed to be the longest run in pro football history.

The Brookfield, Wisconsin native played for the Badgers from 2003 to 2006.  He won the Outland Trophy as college football’s top interior lineman in 2006 and his former coach, Barry Alvarez, said Thomas may have been the best offensive lineman to every play at Wisconsin.

Thomas was selected by the Browns with the third overall pick in the 2007 draft.

The Browns plan to enshrine the number 10,363 to recognize his consecutive snaps streak in the team’s Ring of Honor at a home game this season.  The former Badgers shouldn’t have to wait too long before he is elected as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame down the road in Canton.

AUDIO: Barry Alvarez says Joe Thomas is probably the best offensive lineman to ever play at Wisconsin :19

AUDIO: Joe Thomas exemplified what being a Badger was all about :20