No. 24 Wisconsin continues its four-game stay in Madison on Friday night, welcoming Northern Illinois to the Kohl Center.
The Badgers opened their 128th season with authority, rolling past Campbell 96-64 on Monday. Wisconsin dug in defensively late, holding the Fighting Camels without a made basket for the final 10:35 and closing the game on a dominant 31-4 run. The win marked the program’s 10th straight home-opening victory under Greg Gard and the 27th time in the last 28 years the Badgers have started their Kohl Center slate with a win. Gard’s teams have not just won these openers. They’ve controlled them by an average margin of 23.6 points.
Northern Illinois arrives with a brand-new look. After a 6-25 finish last season, the Huskies reset everything, turning over all 16 roster spots in the offseason. Expectations remained low, with NIU picked last in the MAC preseason poll, but they came out firing to start the year in a 102-82 win over Louisiana-Monroe. New faces. New energy. A lot to still learn.
The history between the two programs leans heavily in Wisconsin’s favor. The Badgers hold an 11-2 edge in the all-time series. The last meeting came all the way back in 2000.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch the Wisconsin vs Northern Illinois NCAAM game, plus plenty more.
Wisconsin vs Northern Illinois: Date and tip-off time
The Badgers will face off against the Huskies in an exciting NCAAM game on Friday, November 7, 2025, at 8:30 pm ET or 5:30 pm PT at Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
| Date | Friday, November 7, 2025 |
| Tip-off Time | 8:30 pm ET or 5:30 pm PT |
| Venue | Kohl Center |
| Location | Madison, Wisconsin |
How to watch Wisconsin vs Northern Illinois on TV & stream live online
Fans in the USA can catch all the action between Wisconsin and Northern Illinois live on the Big Ten Network nationally. Streaming options are available on Fubo, which offers a FREE trial to new subscribers.
Streaming the game with a VPN
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Wisconsin vs Northern Illinois team news & key performers
Wisconsin Badgers team news
On paper, Wisconsin looks every bit like a tournament squad. The Badgers opened the season with a 96-64 victory over Campbell, a team ranked 213th by Sports Illustrated. The final score got out of hand late, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Wisconsin led just 65-60 with nine minutes to go before slamming the door with a 14-0 burst in the final stretch. They shot the ball well across the board, too, hitting 50.7% from the field, 39.3% from deep, and 89.5% at the stripe. John Blackwell paced the scoring with 31 points. Nick Boyd chipped in 21, and Nolan Winter added 17 points and 12 boards. Boyd’s impact is already showing after his time at FAU and a starting role at San Diego State last season, where he averaged 13.4 per game.
Northern Illinois Huskies team news
Northern Illinois put up strong offensive numbers of its own in its opener. The Huskies shot 55.4% overall, 40.7% from three, and 73.1% at the line in their 20-point win. They were flat-out physical too, controlling the glass with a 44-18 rebounding edge. Four players reached double digits. Jao Otuka led with 19 points in only 19 minutes. Gustav Winther recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds. Makhai Valentine added 16 points and eight boards. Gianni Cobb posted 14 points and handed out a game-high 10 assists.
Yes, Louisiana-Monroe is widely projected to be one of the Sun Belt’s weakest teams. Even so, for a Northern Illinois program coming off a 6-25 season and a 2-16 mark in league play, a convincing win is a boost of real confidence.