Wisconsin
Del Rio joins Badgers staff in first college foray
Wisconsin has hired longtime NFL coach Jack Del Rio to its staff, where he will serve as senior adviser to Badgers coach Luke Fickell, the team told ESPN on Thursday.
Del Rio, the former Jaguars and Raiders coach, most recently served as Washington Commanders defensive coordinator until he was fired in November. He will work with both the offense and defense at Wisconsin and assist Fickell, who starts his second season at the school Friday against Western Michigan.
A former linebacker at USC and with four NFL teams, Del Rio has spent his entire coaching career at the pro level. The 61-year-old held defensive coordinator roles with Carolina and Denver before coming to Washington in 2020.
Fickell had hoped to have former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, his close friend and former teammate at Ohio State, around the Wisconsin program this season. But Vrabel is serving as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns.
EAA AirVenture 2025 opens with aircraft of every description
EAA AirVenture 2025
USA TODAY readers voted two Wisconsin events among the nation’s best for thrills and excitement – and one got a No. 1 spot.
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh was voted the Best Air Show, ranking first on a list of 10 air shows across the country.
Oshkosh annually becomes a landing pad for around 10,000 aircraft of all shapes and sizes, in what’s considered the world’s biggest fly-in convention. In 2025, EAA had record-breaking attendance, with around 704,000 visitors. This year, the air show will be held July 20-26.
Also highlighted on the most recent USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards, released Wednesday, May 6, was the Sports Car Club of America National Championship Runoffs in Elkhart Lake, which ranked sixth in the Best Motorsports Race category.
The SCCA National Championship Runoffs are an annual competition between top amateur road racers, frequently held at Road America.
The event was held annually at Road America from 2009 to 2013, then returned in 2020 and again for the 2024-2026 competitions. It also rotates to other sites across the United States. In 2027 and 2028, it will be held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
The SCCA National Championship Runoffs will take place Sept. 28-Oct. 4.
The Best Air Show and Best Motorsports Race lists were among 10 lists in the overarching category “Thrills ‘n’ Wheels & Fishing.” Other lists include Best Boat Show, Best Car Show, Best Fishing Charter and Best Rodeo. The full list of winners can be found online at 10best.usatoday.com/awards.
To determine its lists, USA TODAY 10Best invites a panel of industry experts each week to nominate their favorite points of interest, in categories like food, drink, travel and lifestyle. Editors then vet the nominations and set aside a list of nominees to ask the public to vote on for a period of four weeks.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.
MADISON – When Alie Bisballe committed to the Wisconsin women’s basketball program during the summer of 2023, she had an scholarship on the table from Michigan State.
After the 6-foot-4 forward entered the transfer portal last month, the Spartans came calling again. This time she accepted their offer.
Bisballe announced her commitment to the Spartans May 5. The move puts her about two hours from her hometown of Lake City, Michigan.
She has two years of eligibility remaining.
Bisballe, who announced the news on Instagram, played in 36 games for Wisconsin in two seasons and averaged 1.3 points per game. She averaged one point and 0.8 rebounds per game this past season.
At Michigan State, she’ll joined another former Badger. Carter McCray, who played for UW in 2024-25, is transferring to Michigan State after one season at West Virginia.
Four Wisconsin players entered the portal last month. Rising senior Kyrah Daniels withdrew her name, but guard Breauna Ware signed with Wake Forest. Jovana Spasovski, a 6-0 wing with two years of eligibility remaining, has not announced a commitment.
Wisconsin
Packers award $100K in grants to help launch girls flag football teams in Wisconsin high schools
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – The Green Bay Packers are boosting support for girls flag football in Wisconsin high schools, awarding $100,000 in grants to help schools launch new teams.
The team said 20 schools across the state were selected to receive $5,000 each to start girls flag football programs.
Six of the grant recipients are in our area: Freedom High School, Green Bay East, Kimberly, Little Chute, Neenah and Southern Door.
Along with the funding, the Packers are also providing participating schools with protective headbands and a flag football equipment starter kit to help new programs get started.
The goal is to build momentum for girls flag football as participation grows, with the long-term aim of the sport becoming a sanctioned Wisconsin high school sport.
Applications are already open for next year’s round of grants.
Copyright 2026 WBAY. All rights reserved.
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