<p>“Lots of school spirit in Madison. However, the students have developed a tradition of not showing up until well into the first quarter of football games.”</p>
<p>They stay way longer at the end of the games too. ;-)</p>
<p>[Traditions</a> – University of Wisconsin Marching Band](<a href=“http://www.badgerband.com/traditions/fifthQuarter.php]Traditions”>http://www.badgerband.com/traditions/fifthQuarter.php)</p>
<p>This is my favorite: [Wisconsin</a> Homecoming 2005 - “Varsity” - YouTube](<a href=“Wisconsin Homecoming 2005 - "Varsity" - YouTube”>Wisconsin Homecoming 2005 - "Varsity" - YouTube).</p>
<p>Hearing this sung in the confines of Kohl Center by 19.000 people can be awe-inspiring even for a non-graduate.</p>
<p>This is also fun: [Buttercup</a> - Wisconsin vs Nebraska - Full HD - YouTube](<a href=“Buttercup - Wisconsin vs Nebraska - Full HD - YouTube”>Buttercup - Wisconsin vs Nebraska - Full HD - YouTube)
[WISCONSIN</a> JUMP AROUND in student section at Camp Randall, Madison - YouTube<a href=“jump%20to%20about%2040%20seconds”>/url</a>.
[url=<a href=“Wisconsin Badgers - Jump Around - History - YouTube”>Wisconsin Badgers - Jump Around - History - YouTube]Wisconsin</a> Badgers - Jump Around - History - YouTube](<a href=“WISCONSIN JUMP AROUND in student section at Camp Randall, Madison - YouTube”>WISCONSIN JUMP AROUND in student section at Camp Randall, Madison - YouTube)</p>
<p>Both have great school spirit and loyal alums. UT alums tend to stay in Texas more while UW’s are more dispersed which makes sense economically. Lots more places to work in Texas. Plus more UT grads are from Texas.</p>
<p>I attended both schools, but that was for grad school, which is different from an undergraduate experience. I was also in Madison a long time ago, and some things have changed since I left (I still read the alumni magazine). Here’s my two cents for what they’re worth:</p>
<p>Both schools can give you an excellent education, but it’s up to you to go out and get it. You can coast through four years at either place and graduate not knowing any more than you knew when you arrived, or you can get a fantastic education with research experience and graduate fully prepared for whatever it is you want to do next. That part is completely up to you. In terms of the quality of education, the rankings tend to favor UT, but honestly I’d say it’s a toss-up. UT has recently built or remodeled a number of student facilities, and wins the recreation battle handily.</p>
<p>UT wins on school spirit. Burnt orange goes with everything. UW seems to have more school spirit now than it was when I was there. (“What do you get when you cross a badger with a groundhog?” “Six more weeks of lousy football.”)</p>
<p>Both cities are state capitals and university cities, and overwhelmingly politically liberal, but Austin is by far the larger of the two. To me, Madison seemed to think it was some kind of major cosmopolitan center, which for Wisconsin maybe it is, but I came from Chicago and Madison felt like a small town pretending to be something it wasn’t. Austin is surrounded on three sides by Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio (each larger and with their own distinct personalities), and has a better sense of what it is and what it is not.</p>
<p>Both cities and both schools lean pretty far to the left even on the liberal scale, but I’ve found conservatives to have a little more standing in Austin than in Madison.</p>
<p>Austin is more laid back in general. The music, film, and creative writing cultures are vibrant. The unofficial motto is “Keep Austin Weird.”</p>
<p>I went to each school planning to get a degree and move back to Chicago. After three years in Madison I moved to Austin. After three years in Austin I bought a house.</p>
<p>Rankings do not tend to favor UT. For research UT is not quite in UW’s league. UT has some areas that are excellent and many that are just good. UW has many that are excellent and a few that are just good.
When UT has a large lake on campus you can sail and row on it might win the recreation battle.<br>
UT has five players at the NFL combine-UW has eight. UW finished ranked 10th–UT others receiving votes. Basketball UW 15th-UT unranked.
Times have changed. Since around 1994
[Academic</a> Ranking of World Universities - 2011| Top 500 universities | Shanghai Ranking - 2011 | World University Ranking - 2011](<a href=“http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU2011.html]Academic”>http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU2011.html)</p>
<p>Sports-wise (football and basketball) Wisconsin has fared substantially better in recent years than Texas, especially as Wisconsin has been in the Rose Bowl for the last 2 years and Wisconsin’s basketball is ranked top 15 in the country right now. Big 10 >>> Big 12. Not that this is important in choosing a university overall, but just something to consider! I would say ultimately it should come down to what university/city/regional culture do you prefer. You can’t go wrong with either school it looks like</p>
<p>Now, if you want to talk food–another story.</p>
<p>Fried cheese curds don’t make you want to go to school in Wisconsin?</p>
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<p>Not all of us! 
We ran into quite an active Texas Exes group in London a couple of years ago. We got together with them to watch a UT football game at a BBQ place across the street from the Tower of London.</p>
<p>My husband got his BS at UW then came down to Austin for his MS - that’s how we met. He said he really enjoyed both campuses.</p>
<p>Always thought the Texas Exes was a clever name. My next door neighbor is an Aggie–hardcore right down to car color. Engineer at Boeing and a nice guy.</p>
<p>The eyes of Texas are upon you, all the livelong day…
I’ve been working on the rairoad, just to pass the time away.</p>
<p>:-)</p>