Former Wisconsin Badgers standout Nigel Hayes recently revealed that he and other players were contemplating a boycott during the 2016-17 campaign — and as luck would have it, that game would’ve been their 77-60 drubbing of the Syracuse Orange as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Hayes has been outspoken about fair player compensation, and a move to boycott that specific game (two nationally-ranked teams on ESPN) would’ve been a major part of that ongoing conversation around paying NCAA athletes. If the Orange hadn’t joined in on the boycott, it might have also helped their resume.