Marquette Hatred Towards Wisconsin

[GooooMarquette]

nm

[willie warrior]

Word.

Sorry--meant pales to UW arrogance.

[shiloh26]

You hit it on the head in your own comment.  In Wisconsin, there is really only one major state school (public) to cheer for, so it's statewide support.  On top of that, it's a football crazy state for obvious reasons and the Badgers are the only D-1 team, support for the other sports at Madison is a function of football fandom in my opinion.  Even folks who go to the other UW-[insert city here] school are likely to be as big or bigger Badger fans than for their own programs.

I would guess other states with only one major D1 football program would have a similar profile.

This is what I heard from a lot of my friends from Illinois who went to MU as well.  I grew up in Wisconsin in exactly the family that you described... all huge Badger fans, no one having went there for a lick of school.  For me, the disdain started in high school when I decided I was going to go to MU, and I did get the "Why wouldn't you go to UW?" comments, as if no one could possibly comprehend why, given the choice, a kid from Wisconsin would choose another in-state school over Madison.  

[Aughnanure]

Do not understand the comments/hate toward UW-Whatever grads. I have two degrees from UW-Whitewater(Whatever), and have loved/followed/adored/suffered for/glorified/contributed to and pondered for MU since the days of Don Kojis. And just to further solidify my MU love and credentials, I have 6 CEU credits from MU.

Do not hate UW--just Bo Ryan--even though he is a good coach.

MU will always be #1 for me, followed by Hank Aaron, Lombardi/Packers, Robin Yount, Warren Spahn, Big O, DWade and so on.

UW Madison does have its share of arrogant fans, so does MU, even though MU arrogance pales to MU arrogance. I have always felt better and found great solace in hating on ND's arrogance, which IMO deserves all the disfavor toward.

Its more about a bunch of UW-Whitewater whatever kids ripping on the academics of Marquette and pretending they're superior because they went to a school in the same system as Madison. This is not limited to just Wisconsin. In Kansas, kids that never took one class at KU piss on K-State as though they're grads. It's like they think they're this extension of UW-Madison, very similar to fair weather Duke fans who've never been to North Carolina.

If you're going to insult my school, especially the academics, you damn well better have gone to the one you claim to be a fan of.

[MUfan12]

For me, the disdain started in high school when I decided I was going to go to MU, and I did get the "Why wouldn't you go to UW?" comments, as if no one could possibly comprehend why, given the choice, a kid from Wisconsin would choose another in-state school over Madison.  

This sums my experience up. I cheered for their football team as a kid. Even up until Dayne's years there.

When I got crap from teachers/guidance counselors about going to MU, that's when I really started to dislike them.

[Bo Ryan's Massage Therapist]

Do you really wonder why they hate us?

Because we kicked their a$$ two years in a row, that's why. 

[Hards Alumni]

This sums my experience up. I cheered for their football team as a kid. Even up until Dayne's years there.

When I got crap from teachers/guidance counselors about going to MU, that's when I really started to dislike them.

Exactly what happened to me.  I made it my business to go back and dispel the lies about MU kids being stuck up when I returned to speak to seniors about college life.

[madtownwarrior]

+1

and they see Buzz out recruiting Bo and are very, very worried about losing to MU going forward...

I also hate them for their blind hatred of Buzz - had they ever see him speak or interact with his players, they would see how foolish their character attacks on Buzz are...

Do you really wonder why they hate us?

Because we kicked their a$$ two years in a row, that's why. 

[Eldon]

This. Harvard (the REAL one) accepted 6% of its applicants last year.  UW-Madison accepted 54.6%  And for those who claim UW-Madison is so superior to MU, MU accepted 55.2% - essentially identical to the "Harvard of the Midwest."

Bottom line:  If you get into MU, chances are pretty high you'll get into UW-Madison...and vice versa.  And at the end of the day, long-term success isn't tied to the "prestige" of the school you went to -- its what you do with your opportunity.

Acceptance rate is a bad measure--it could be that the perception is out there that Madison is such a great school that potential students (rejects) ask themselves "why bother applying, when I won't get in anyway."

If we're trying to measure and compare the quality of the average student at both schools, then ACT score (and GPA to a lesser extent) is a much better statistic.  And by that measure, if I recall correctly, Madison's 25-75% range was 28-32 and MU's was 24-28 (this was a while back, but still in the last decade).

With the possible exceptions of a few niche programs, Madison is clearly a better school by every measure, undergrad or otherwise.  That's not to say MU does not have good students or that every Madison student is better than every MU student--it simply means that the randomly selected average student is better, especially at the high end of the distribution.

I know a lot of Madison grads and I simply don't see this arrogance, at least with respect to academics.  I have never heard anyone refer to it as the "Harvard of the Midwest" except on this board.  And no UW alum I know looks down on an MU degree in the same way that, say, a lot of MU alums look down on UW-Whatever degrees.  Also, I really have yet to see MU bball hatred anywhere else in the state.  The only anti-MU bball fans are friends of mine who are both Madison alums and die-hard bball fans.  I'm not saying that the average joe in Rhinelander roots for Marquette, but I doubt that he roots against us.  He is simply apathetic to Marquette basketball and probably isn't even aware of a rivalry.

[Coleman]

Acceptance rate is a bad measure--it could be that the perception is out there that Madison is such a great school that potential students (rejects) ask themselves "why bother applying, when I won't get in anyway."

If we're trying to measure and compare the quality of the average student at both schools, then ACT score (and GPA to a lesser extent) is a much better statistic.  And by that measure, if I recall correctly, Madison's 25-75% range was 28-32 and MU's was 24-28 (this was a while back, but still in the last decade).

With the possible exceptions of a few niche programs, Madison is clearly a better school by every measure, undergrad or otherwise.  That's not to say MU does not have good students or that every Madison student is better than every MU student--it simply means that the randomly selected average student is better, especially at the high end of the distribution.

I know a lot of Madison grads and I simply don't see this arrogance, at least with respect to academics.  I have never heard anyone refer to it as the "Harvard of the Midwest" except on this board.  And no UW alum I know looks down on an MU degree in the same way that, say, a lot of MU alums look down on UW-Whatever degrees.  Also, I really have yet to see MU bball hatred anywhere else in the state.  The only anti-MU bball fans are friends of mine who are both Madison alums and die-hard bball fans.  I'm not saying that the average joe in Rhinelander roots for Marquette, but I doubt that he roots against us.  He is simply apathetic to Marquette basketball and probably isn't even aware of a rivalry.

I volunteer for admissions and while I can't recall the exact figure (shame on me), I know it is currently higher than 24-28. I want to say its closer to 26-30. Maybe a point or two behind UW-Madison, but that's it. It has gotten so competitive that if you are now below a 25, you probably should be looking elsewhere, or at least have some solid backup choices in mind.

All of these stats have limitations. Acceptance, ACT, etc. should all be just one small part of evaluating a school.

UW-Madison and Marquette are apples and oranges. Some people want smaller class sizes and to be taught by a tenured professor, not an adjunct or TA (which is the norm for all undergrads at UW-Madison). Other people might want the larger campus atmosphere and wider selection of programs (veterinary school for example) that UW-Madison offers and the prestige its graduate programs bring it. Neither choice is wrong. Its a matter of priorities. And there are programs where it is a no brainer to go to Marquette. If you want to be a Journalist, Dentist or Physical Therapist, MU is an obvious choice. Maybe those are "niche" programs but there are plenty of people at MU who are just as smart or smarter than the people 90 miles west.

Marquette is one of the best schools in the country for what it is - a Jesuit school with about 8,000 undergrads. Madison is one of the better state schools in the country. They are both fine choices.

[Hards Alumni]

Acceptance rate is a bad measure--it could be that the perception is out there that Madison is such a great school that potential students (rejects) ask themselves "why bother applying, when I won't get in anyway."

If we're trying to measure and compare the quality of the average student at both schools, then ACT score (and GPA to a lesser extent) is a much better statistic.  And by that measure, if I recall correctly, Madison's 25-75% range was 28-32 and MU's was 24-28 (this was a while back, but still in the last decade).

With the possible exceptions of a few niche programs, Madison is clearly a better school by every measure, undergrad or otherwise.  That's not to say MU does not have good students or that every Madison student is better than every MU student--it simply means that the randomly selected average student is better, especially at the high end of the distribution.

I know a lot of Madison grads and I simply don't see this arrogance, at least with respect to academics.  I have never heard anyone refer to it as the "Harvard of the Midwest" except on this board.  And no UW alum I know looks down on an MU degree in the same way that, say, a lot of MU alums look down on UW-Whatever degrees.  Also, I really have yet to see MU bball hatred anywhere else in the state.  The only anti-MU bball fans are friends of mine who are both Madison alums and die-hard bball fans.  I'm not saying that the average joe in Rhinelander roots for Marquette, but I doubt that he roots against us.  He is simply apathetic to Marquette basketball and probably isn't even aware of a rivalry.

You must live a fairly insulated life.  Direct facebook statement from a UW-Oshkosh grad:  

Watching the game. She's a huge UW fan!!!! I asked her what she thought about Marquette..... She puked a little. #thatsmygirl

[GooooMarquette]

Acceptance rate is a bad measure--it could be that the perception is out there that Madison is such a great school that potential students (rejects) ask themselves "why bother applying, when I won't get in anyway."

If we're trying to measure and compare the quality of the average student at both schools, then ACT score (and GPA to a lesser extent) is a much better statistic.  And by that measure, if I recall correctly, Madison's 25-75% range was 28-32 and MU's was 24-28 (this was a while back, but still in the last decade).

Current 25-75% ranges for ACT are 26-30 at UW-Madison, and 24-29 at MU.  Not identical, but a lot of overlap and much closer than the numbers you quote.  As the parent of two daughters who've taken the ACT in the past three years, I can tell you that those differences are pretty insignificant.

And it's impossible to quantify all the factors that go into whether someone applies to a given school.  They might very well forego applying to UW-Madison for the reasons you state.  Or they could go the other way, and think "I couldn't afford MU anyway, so why bother applying?  Might as well shoot for a state school that I could afford, even if I think it's a longshot."

As someone who has attended both schools, I can personally tell you that any differences are minimal, and mostly department-specific.  And if you want to make generalizations, I'd say MU is better for the typical undergrad, while UW-Madison is better for grad students.

[Skatastrophy]

You guys sure are going way out of your way to prove how much you don't care about this.

It's one of the many things that makes me love the basketball rivalry we with UW-Madison

[ZiggysFryBoy]

If you want to be a Journalist, Dentist or Physical Therapist, MU is an obvious choice. Maybe those are "niche" programs but there are plenty of people at MU who are just as smart or smarter than the people 90 miles west.

gotta go to UW-Madison to get that Ag journalism degree though.

[Litehouse]

Acceptance rate is a bad measure--it could be that the perception is out there that Madison is such a great school that potential students (rejects) ask themselves "why bother applying, when I won't get in anyway."

From my observations, it works out the other way.  Nearly every high school kid in WI applies to UW-Madison, which improves their acceptance rate.  This shouldn't surprise anyone, it's a great school and in-state tuition is very reasonable.  On the other hand, a lot of kids/families are scared away by the sticker-shock at MU and don't apply, which makes the acceptance rate looks worse.  Also, there's a significant portion of families in WI that just won't consider sending their kids to college in Milwaukee.

Regardless, academic arguments are ridiculous when we're talking about basketball.

[brewcity77]

In the spirit of their thread, I'm going to list the things that make me laugh about Wisconsin.

10) "Harvard of the Midwest". Come on, until Harvard starts calling themselves the "Wisconsin of the East Coast", UW are not comparable to Harvard. Especially at the undergrad level.
9) Bo's rage. Seriously, the guy needs some Prozac.
8) Becky Badger
7) Their ironic bitterness toward Marquette JUCOs and transfers while Coach Anderson loads up their football team with JUCOs and transfers.
6) Their steadfast belief in diversity.
5) All the talk about Buzzcutting and Creaning when arguably the worst mishandling of a player transfer was when Uthoff got Boned.
4) How everyone from Oshkosh, Platteville, Stevens Point, and all the other hyphen schools think they are Badgers.
3) They actually believe Badger basketball is exciting. Listen, the end result of winning is great, but the end result of the paint on my walls being dry is also great. Doesn't mean I'm going to enjoy the process of watching it happen.
2) For #2, two academic points: First, their undergrad programs are on par with Marquette's, so anyone not doing graduate research has no academic superiority claim, and second, their athlete graduation rate is worse than ours, which proves MU actually cares more about their athletic academics than UW's athletic department does.
1) JUMP AROUND DOES NOT BELONG TO THEM! HOUSE OF PAIN IS NOT FROM MADISON! Oh...and Rick Smith is better at jumping around than their entire fanbase.

[madtownwarrior]

Bo's rage and the incredulous look he has on his face when a ref has the gall to calla foul on the badgers.  Oh. and the flopping at any giving moment - they could be Duke of the Midwest in that category....

In the spirit of their thread, I'm going to list the things that make me laugh about Wisconsin.

10) "Harvard of the Midwest". Come on, until Harvard starts calling themselves the "Wisconsin of the East Coast", UW are not comparable to Harvard. Especially at the undergrad level.
9) Bo's rage. Seriously, the guy needs some Prozac.
8) Becky Badger
7) Their ironic bitterness toward Marquette JUCOs and transfers while Coach Anderson loads up their football team with JUCOs and transfers.
6) Their steadfast belief in diversity.
5) All the talk about Buzzcutting and Creaning when arguably the worst mishandling of a player transfer was when Uthoff got Boned.
4) How everyone from Oshkosh, Platteville, Stevens Point, and all the other hyphen schools think they are Badgers.
3) They actually believe Badger basketball is exciting. Listen, the end result of winning is great, but the end result of the paint on my walls being dry is also great. Doesn't mean I'm going to enjoy the process of watching it happen.
2) For #2, two academic points: First, their undergrad programs are on par with Marquette's, so anyone not doing graduate research has no academic superiority claim, and second, their athlete graduation rate is worse than ours, which proves MU actually cares more about their athletic academics than UW's athletic department does.
1) JUMP AROUND DOES NOT BELONG TO THEM! HOUSE OF PAIN IS NOT FROM MADISON! Oh...and Rick Smith is better at jumping around than their entire fanbase.

[ronald dragon]

+1

and they see Buzz out recruiting Bo and are very, very worried about losing to MU going forward...

I also hate them for their blind hatred of Buzz - had they ever see him speak or interact with his players, they would see how foolish their character attacks on Buzz are...

you hit the nail on the head with this one

[Litehouse]

I finally broke down and had to read their thread over there, and the religion thing baffles me.  Like most things in college, religion was what you made of it.  Other than taking Theo 101 and no classes on All Saints Day to recover from Halloween, I never felt it was forced upon me.

[MUfan12]

and they see Buzz out recruiting Bo and are very, very worried about losing to MU going forward...

They got really nervous when he lost a white kid from Sun Prairie to MU...

[Hards Alumni]

I finally broke down and had to read their thread over there, and the religion thing baffles me.  Like most things in college, religion was what you made of it.  Other than taking Theo 101 and no classes on All Saints Day to recover from Halloween, I never felt it was forced upon me.

Ignorance.  That is just what it is.  They don't know so they assume it is like going to Catholic grade school.  Uniforms, nuns teaching, and rulers to the knuckles.

All sorts go to MU.  Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist... its not hard to understand.

[Benny B]

I finally broke down and had to read their thread over there, and the religion thing baffles me.  Like most things in college, religion was what you made of it.  Other than taking Theo 101 and no classes on All Saints Day to recover from Halloween, I never felt it was forced upon me.

Suffice to say, religion plays little, if any, role in MU's "hatred" of UW (to say otherwise would be paradoxical); however, religion is a material factor in UW's hatred of MU.

[madtownwarrior]

read the thread over there, don't care to post over there...  The ultimate is the UW dickhead fan BBFran - I know he gets his jollies trying to bait MU fans (what a sad message board existence if I ever saw one), but it makes me smile that he convinces himself that the dumpster fire that the UWM basketballl program is a great program and constantly tries to rip MU anyway he can.  again, pathetic...

[madtownwarrior]

read the thread over there, don't care to post over there...  The ultimate is the UW dickhead fan BBFran - I know he gets his jollies trying to bait MU fans (what a sad message board existence if I ever saw one), but it makes me smile that he convinces himself that the dumpster fire that the UWM basketballl program is a great program and constantly tries to rip MU anyway he can.

Fran - last in a pathetic conference last year, predicted last in an even more pathetic conference this year....   great program...

[warriorchick]

Ignorance.  That is just what it is.  They don't know so they assume it is like going to Catholic grade school.  Uniforms, nuns teaching, and rulers to the knuckles.

All sorts go to MU.  Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist... its not hard to understand.

+1

One of the coolest things I ever witnessed at MU was in front of McCormick on Freshman Move-In Day one year.  I saw a student's mom who was obviously an observant Muslim - covered arms, long skirt, hijab covering her head and neck - pulling on a Marquette logo tee over the entire outfit.

Just proves you don't have to be Catholic to appreciate the value of a Jesuit education.