Tucked away to the side of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s esteemed football stadium, Camp Randall, lies its equally iconic volleyball area: the Wisconsin Field House.
Layers of bright red benches fill the 7,000-plus person arena, looking down upon the shiny red and tan court. A large American flag hangs on the back wall, directly across from a long row of massive banners celebrating the team’s historic success.
The Wisconsin women’s volleyball program is defined by two things: its perennial success and its endless support from fans. The Badgers are currently the No. 7 ranked team in the country, but Wisconsin is no stranger to being among the elite.
Since head coach Kelly Sheffield joined the Badgers in late 2012, Wisconsin has collected a national championship in 2021, four Big Ten titles and is one of three collegiate programs who advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen the last 11 years in a row.
But it isn’t just the consistency that draws packed crowds into the arena each week. The reason Wisconsin fans keep showing up runs a little deeper than that. For many, it comes down to traditions and passion.
“There will be lines for the general admission seating for twelve hours before the game,” said Rachel Cohen, a junior at UW-Madison and the in-arena-host at the Field House. “They’re sprinting in to get to their seats—older fans with canes and walkers, and they’re running to get to their seats still because they love our volleyball team.”
Junior Braelyn Rademacher has bled Badger red for as long as she can remember. The daughter of a UW-Madison alum and a volleyball player herself, Rademacher went to her first Badger game at five years old. Even that young, she experienced what she called the “special connection” she found at the Field House—one that only grew as she got older.
“Something special that I was able to do in middle school was coming to the volleyball camps the program put on, with several players involved in running it,” Rademacher said. “I did that for three years during the era of Lauren Carlini and Sydney Hilley, who were my role models growing up. I still have all three of my signed volleyballs tucked away at home.”
Rademacher attests the energy in the field house to a variety of factors, ranging from pre-game player high fives with awaiting kids to the long-standing chants.
“Years ago, my dad was part of the group to bring ‘Point, Wisconsin’ to the Field House after hearing it while visiting Minnesota and watching a Wisconsin vs. Minnesota game where they said, ‘Point, U,’” she said. “The fanbase has only grown since my dad went here and part of it is that families are such a welcomed and valued part of the fanbase.”
Jared Coelho—the volleyball director for Wisconsin’s official student section, AreaRED, and UW-Madison senior—has been witness to countless hours of fan interactions. He says his favorite comes from a group of die-hard fans who always sit in the front row behind the end-line, with a stack of the letter B printed on paper.
“Every time the Badgers record a block, they hand one of the ‘B’s up over the railing in front of them, much like a strikeout counter in baseball,” said Coelho. “It’s a great example of fans taking it upon themselves to create new traditions and ways to keep fellow fans engaged.”
Like many varsity sports at UW-Madison, the fanbase is also heavily fueled by its loud-and-proud student section. For Coelho, the volleyball student section is unlike any other at the university.
“The front row is separated from the court by only a few feet, which really makes students feel immersed in every game,” said Coelho. “The team even gets involved sometimes, with the bench starting chants that the student section plays off of, and vice versa.”
The Field House is home to all types of fans, all coming together to sit in on a great team playing in a historic arena, something that makes it a unique atmosphere.
“There are kids who cheer on their idols in awe, hoping to stand in their same shoes one day,” said Coelho. “There are students that are consistently loud, cheering and chanting the Badgers to a win, regardless of how many sets it takes. And there are lifelong fans that would never miss the chance to come back to Madison for a day at the Field House.”
The Field House’s level of intimacy was consistently tossed around when describing its iconic atmosphere. Cohen says that despite the stadium holding several thousand, it still feels very tight-knit.
“No matter where you are, you have such a great view and everyone is close together,” she said. “It’s all general admission benches. Everyone is so connected together that when it erupts, the whole arena just goes crazy.”
When it comes to a matchup with a ranked opponent, like Saturday’s game against No. 3 Penn State, she expects the energy in the arena to be heightened even more. After Wisconsin was swept by No. 2 ranked Nebraska last Friday—an unexpected turn of events for the Badgers, fans will be looking for something different this weekend.
“Everyone’s going to want revenge and bring even more energy. It’s going to be loud,” said Cohen. “People are going to be looking for that comeback feeling and have this real excitement that we are truly underdogs.”
How to watch Penn State vs. Wisconsin:
- When: Saturday, November 9
- Where: Wisconsin Field House in Madison, Wisconsin
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Watch: NBC, Peacock
About the Author
Sophia Ross is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in journalism with certificates in sports communication and digital studies. She serves as the football beat reporter for her student newspaper, The Daily Cardinal, and also works for the BTN StudentU program. Through the Big Ten Network, Sophia is a student color commentator and helped to establish the first group of student sideline reporters at Wisconsin, which she is a part of. Upon graduation, she hopes to venture into the sports media realm and continue growing as a journalist.
