Why scheduling Oklahoma in Milwaukee was a big win for Wisconsin Badgers basketball

The game is a far cry from the exhibition games Wisconsin played when head coach Greg Gard first arrived as an assistant at the University of Wisconsin 24 years ago, seeing the Badgers play against cobbled-together groups of former college basketball players trying to extend their careers.

Those don't exist anymore in the fast-changing pace of college athletics, a landscape that forces VandeWettering to rarely put his phone on silent.

The first general manager in Wisconsin basketball's history, he works with Gard and the coaching staff on recruiting, roster management, player personnel and revenue sharing strategy, all things necessary to stay competitive in today's age of name, image, and likeness.

Just as important, VandeWettering has continued with his responsibility to handle the non-conference schedule, which has started to see many power conference schools pivot away from multi-team events to more lucrative neutral-site games hosted by third-party vendors.

Those cash-stream opportunities have now extended into the exhibition portion of the schedule. The NCAA passed a rule change earlier this year that allowed teams to play two public exhibitions against any four-year school, including other Division-I teams.

In prior years, Wisconsin could only play open exhibitions against lower-division schools, closed-door scrimmages against Division-1 schools, or request a waiver to play another Division-1 school as long as the proceeds would go to charity, like Wisconsin did when it faced Northern Iowa in 2017.

"We were trying to figure out what it meant for us and how it would impact things," VandeWettering said. "With the rule change, it gives fans the chance to see the team, get them excited for the upcoming season, and get the team a trial run against a high-profile opponent."

With UW hosting Marquette this December, the Badgers scheduled themselves to play a neutral-site game against Villanova at Fiserv Form on December 19 for exposure in the state's biggest city and tap into the area's strong alumni base.

Related: Hidden reason revealed for Wisconsin Badgers playing more neutral site basketball games in Milwaukee

When another opportunity was presented by the same third-party company for a second trip to Milwaukee, it made perfect sense.

"Milwaukee is a huge emphasis for us across the state," VandeWettering said. "We've got fantastic fans in all corners of the state. They show up for us in Madison, and we look forward to that to be in Milwaukee."

Oklahoma and Wisconsin align when it comes to playing a road exhibition game and fitting into today's era of college athletics.

Both schools are drastically different than a year ago, with the Badgers losing 11 players off last year's roster and the Sooners needing to replace every consistent starter from their NCAA squad.

Each roster has been rebuilt through additions from the transfer portal, so both schools can point to going through a road routine for the first time and building on-court chemistry as the game's primary importance.

The secondary reason is equally as important: generating guaranteed revenue to fill the coffers of their respective collectives for retaining and acquiring roster talent.

"Let's not ignore the elephant in the room, NIL resources are important. They are vital," Gard said. "Those opportunities a bigger platform for that."

It's the new game within a game of college athletics, which is why VandeWettering always has his phone nearby.

"We're going to get a really good look of where we are at the end of October with a high-level opponent that is going to be very competitive," said VandeWettering, noting the Sooners beat No.10 Texas Tech in a closed scrimmage last week. "They were in an NCAA Tournament team last year and (Sooners head coach) Porter Moser has got that team running again. We expect it to be a good test and a good barometer as we go into another tough nonconference slate."