Wisconsin to face Oklahoma State in Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Wisconsin is headed to Arizona for bowl season.

It was announced Sunday that the Badgers would play in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Dec. 27) in Phoenix against Oklahoma State. The matchup will be the first between the two schools.

The Cowboys got off to a great start this season, rising to as high as No. 7 in the AP poll. But a loss to College Football Playoff-bound TCU was followed by four more losses in their final six games, finishing the year 7-5.

This is the 21st straight year that Wisconsin is playing in a bowl game and it will mark the second time the program has played in this particular postseason game in Arizona. The first one came in 1996 when the game was called the Copper Bowl. A freshman running back named Ron Dayne ran for 246 yards and was named MVP as the Badgers beat Utah 38-10.

There is still some uncertainty around how the coaching situation will work for the bowl game. New coach Luke Fickell told reporters last week he intended to have a role coaching in some form but it was still being worked out. Offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini said on Thursday’s episode of The Zone’s Kenney & Heilprin that Fickell would act as head coach, though that has not been confirmed by the school.

The game will be played at Chase Field, the home of MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Kick is set for 9:15 p.m. CT.