Big Ten Mailbag answering questions about UCLA joining the B1G

Chris from San Diego asks, "Which school's fanbase closely resembles UCLA's that is currently in the Big Ten?"

Wisconsin for many reasons as their athletic department is similar to UCLA's in many ways. For example, they love their basketball program but they also put many resources into their football program like UCLA in football, which hasn't seen multiple conference titles in over a decade. They also like UCLA care about their high academic standards as seen below.

• Research Intensity: Both universities are classified as R1: Doctoral Universities - Very High Research Activity, which strongly emphasizes research and graduate education.
• Diverse Academic Programs: They offer various undergraduate and graduate programs across multiple disciplines, including arts, sciences, engineering, business, and more.
• Strong Academic Reputations: Both are highly regarded institutions known for their academic excellence and rigorous curriculum.

Wisconsin and UCLA fanbases are also similar as they are both passionate but their whole week is not ruined like other Big Ten fan bases if they were to lose a conference football game in late September. Both fanbases love their basketball programs more than other fanbases realize and for the most part, both considered very polite when talking with fans from other Big Ten schools.

UCLA and Wisconsin are not scheduled to play one another in football until the 2026 season but the Badgers and their fanbase will be present when Wisconsin travels to play at UCLA this upcoming basketball season.