NCAA Final Set for A Rematch Between Wisconsin and Ohio

Wisconsin Athletics

The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers are Championship bound once again, as they are set to face off for the National Title for the fourth year in a row. 

In their last three Title meetings the Badgers are 2-1, as they look to defend their title against rival Buckeyes. Beyond their Title matchups the Buckeyes or Badgers have won every Title since 2019, with all but one game being decided by one-goal. 

This season the Badgers are 3-2 against the Buckeyes, with their most recent loss coming against Ohio in the WCHA Final Faceoff, where the Buckeyes came out as WCHA Champions. 

So how did we get here? 

After the WCHA Final Faceoff the Wisconsin Badgers and Ohio State Buckeyes headed to the NCAA Tournament. 

In Ohio’s opening round they faced the Yale Bulldogs where they pulled off another dominant win taking the game 6-1. Well, Wisconsin faced the Quinnipiac Bobcats in a 6-0 shutout. With the win both teams punched their ticket to the NCAA Frozen Four. 

In their Frozen Four matchup the Ohio State Buckeyes took on the Northeastern Huskies where they continued to deliver with a 5-0 shutout. Well, the Wisconsin Badgers faced the Penn State Nittany Lions in a tight match that headed to overtime. In overtime, it was Kirsten Simms who was the hero with her 100th career goal, becoming just the 5th Badger to reach the milestone. Setting the NCAA Championship Game as another rematch between the Badgers and Buckeyes. 

Standouts This Season

From the Badgers the standout has been senior Caroline Harvey who continues to pile up the awards, most recently adding WCHA Player of the Year to her impressive resume. Harvey has continued to be a defensive standout heading into the 2026 PWHL draft, contributing on both ends of the ice for the Badgers and US National Team. This season with the Badgers Harvey has 63 points in 32 games. Harvey is also on the Patty Kazmaier watchlist as she was named a Top 3 Finalist for the award that is given to the best women’s player in D1 hockey. 

From Ohio State it was freshman Hilda Svensson with 2 goals and 5 assists in her Olympic debut with Sweden. Svensson has continued to make waves in her rookie campaign with the Buckeyes, with 51 points in 32 games. She is going to be one to watch throughout her college career and the upcoming WCHA playoffs. 

The Wisconsin Badgers will look to defend their Title, while the Ohio State Buckeyes look to get back on top. With two strong teams who have been dominant all season the game could truly go either way, so tune in Sunday at 4 PM (EST), to see who will be the 2026 NCAA National Champions.