Badgers v. Bulldogs — The Fresno State Football Tour 2008

September 12, 2008

By Courtney Renick-Mayer x’08

MADISON, Wis. — Most Badger football season-ticket holders enjoy all the fun and festivities at Camp Randall Stadium, but only the most diehard fans hit the road and follow the Badgers cross country as they make their way to the top. For one lucky fan, a trip to California to watch the Badgers take on Fresno State was a chance to join the truly devoted.
Dan Ginsburg '05
Dan Ginsburg '05
UW alumnus Dan Ginsburg ’05 of Madison, Wis., won last year’s Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) Big Badger Challenge by predicting the most overall winners of each Big Ten game during the 2007 college football regular season. His prize: a spot on the official WAA travel tour to the Sept. 13 game against Fresno State, including game tickets, free airfare and lodging, and an opportunity to visit San Francisco.

“I received the e-mail while I was at work, and I essentially galloped around the office telling people about it because I was so thrilled,” Ginsburg said. “I'm a huge Badger fan, so going on this trip at all would be amazing — getting to do it free is incredible.”

Ginsburg not only gets to enjoy the game in a sea of red and white, but will also join other UW alumni and fans for pre-game activities. The 100 fans joining Ginsburg on the official WAA travel tour will spend time exploring the city of San Francisco, then make their way to Fresno State.
Fresno tour
On Thursday, Sept. 11, about 130 alumni and Badger fans gathered in San Francisco for “A Celebration of Wisconsin Sports,” an evening event where they met Athletic Director Barry Alvarez and Men's Basketball Coach Bo Ryan.

On game day, more than 900 Badger fans are expected to attend the pre-game Badger Huddle celebration and tailgate at the Fresno State Athletic Fields. They’ll feast on a Wisconsin-style tailgate dinner and get pumped up for the game during a pep rally with the UW Spirit Squad and Marching Band.
Saturday will be the third game of the regular season for the nationally ranked Badgers and their first on-the-road match. Fresno is currently ranked No. 21, so the Bulldogs anxiously await the arrival of UW.

“Fresno State has a very good, nationally ranked team this year, and their team and their fans are going to be very pumped to get a team with as big a profile as Wisconsin coming into their home stadium,” Ginsburg said. “The game is also at night, and as far as I'm concerned, very little beats the atmosphere of a college football game at night.”

For more information about the Fresno State Football Tour 2008 or other WAA travel opportunities, visit uwalumni.com/travel.
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