Homecoming Tradition Starts Early at Camp Randall

It's one of Wisconsin's greatest homecoming traditions, but saddly it happens before most of the fans take their seats. It's the law school cane toss.

Every year third year law students take their turn running down the field carrying a cane. They don't use it to hold themselves up on their way down the artificial turf. They throw it over the goal post. If the law student catches the cane they will win their first case. If they don't catch it...it will be a rough start to their practice.

There is a lot of debate about when the tradition started at Wisconsin, but some estimates have it at almost 100 years old. One story is that it came to Wisconsin from Harvard back in 1910. The other says that the tradition came from Ohio State in 1917 when professor William Hubert Page came to Madison.

Regardless of when or where the tradition started, the cane toss has become a tradition at Wisconsin that some people may not know about. Mostly the people that come in five minutes after the game starts, and we're not just talking about the students.

The tradition is more than just an idea that sounded good after a few bears. It's a tradition that marks a right of passage for the law students. A mark of accomplishment that has been in the works for almost a decade. So this year make it to the game a little bit earlier, and check out one of the hidden jems of Wisconsin football. And don't forget your cane.