BackCap

After a Badger win, every member of the UW Marching Band immediately makes they same move. They turn their cap backwards. This tradition is not unique to the University of Wisconsin. It began in the early 1900s as a Big Ten band custom and has since spread to other universities and high schools across the nation. Although there is little agreement about the origin of this practice, there is consensus about its symbolism. The backward-facing cap is believed to signify a reflection on the day’s victory. Therefore, as the Badger Band members march toward the exit of the stadium following a Wisconsin triumph, their caps are “looking back at the win.”