Saturday’s match against Wisconsin will be the first men’s game I’ve seen in person in nearly two years. I should be psyched. My Badger hate should be overflowing.

But to be honest, it’s just not there.

While most Marquette fans have had Saturday circled on their calendars since this match-up was announced, I’d been having too much fun watching Marquette men and women’s soccer as well as the volleyball team kick ass and take names to start any sort of countdown. I was still mourning the end of volleyball’s season on Saturday when I realized that Badger Hate Week was upon us.

Y’all probably don’t realize that Marquette already owns a 2-0 advantage on Wisconsin in fall sports. The Golden Eagles topped the Badgers 1-0 in a women’s soccer August exhibition then men’s soccer outlasted Bucky for a 2-1 overtime victory in September.

Hmmmm: I’m feeling a bit better.

The Wisconsin women did earn a berth to the NCAA tournament after going 12-8-1, but fell in the opening round. Wisconsin men’s soccer finished an awful 6-8-5 and didn’t qualify for post-season play. And Badger volleyball also didn’t make the NCAA tournament with their atrocious 5-14 in conference record. I suppose these things happen when most of a school’s resources are being shunted into an 8-5 football team lucky enough to have the squads ahead of it banned from bowl play.

I think I will stop being bummed out: all good things must come to an end. Marquette men's and women's soccer and volleyball had outstanding seasons (which is more than we can say for their Bucky counterparts) and that’s nothing to be mournful about.

The time has come to hate: I’ll start tonight when Marquette women’s basketball team goes for a third straight win over Wisconsin.