So, you’re staring at a quiet Saturday afternoon, wondering exactly when does notre dame football play again because the silence in South Bend feels a little too heavy. It happens every year. The decorations come down, the snow starts pile up around the Golden Dome, and suddenly there's a giant, football-shaped hole in your life.
Honestly, the wait is the worst part.
But if you’re looking for the next time the Irish actually strap on the pads and hit someone in a different colored jersey, you’ve got two very different answers depending on how "real" you want the game to be.
The First Glimpse: Spring Ball 2026
The absolute soonest you can see Marcus Freeman’s squad back in Notre Dame Stadium is April 2026. We don't have the exact Saturday pinned down by the university just yet—they usually wait until the winter thaw to drop the official date—but historical patterns are a thing for a reason.
Expect the Blue-Gold Game to land in mid-to-late April.
It’s not a "real" game, sure. It’s a glorified practice where the quarterbacks wear red "don't touch me" jerseys and the coaching staff tries not to show anything on film that a scout from Wisconsin might use six months later. But for fans who need that fix, it's the first chance to see if the new transfer portal additions actually look as fast in person as they did on their highlight reels.
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When the Real Season Starts: Lambeau Field
Now, if you’re talking about the games that actually matter for the record books, mark your calendar for Sunday, September 6, 2026.
Yeah, you read that right. Sunday.
Notre Dame is opening the 2026 season against the Wisconsin Badgers, and they aren’t doing it in South Bend or Madison. They’re taking over Lambeau Field in Green Bay. This is a massive, high-stakes neutral site game that has been in the works for years. It’s basically a home game for the Badgers in terms of geography, but Irish fans travel like nobody else, so expect a sea of green and gold in the frozen north.
Wait. September in Green Bay isn't frozen. It's actually kind of perfect.
The Early 2026 Gauntlet
After the Wisconsin showdown, the schedule doesn't exactly get easier. The Irish are basically playing a game of "how many historical rivalries can we fit into one month?"
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- September 12: Rice comes to South Bend for the home opener.
- September 19: Michigan State travels to Notre Dame Stadium. This is a big one. The Megaphone Trophy is back on the line, and after a few years of this rivalry being on ice, the energy is going to be through the roof.
- September 26: A short trip to West Lafayette to face Purdue.
Basically, by the time October 1st rolls around, we’re going to know exactly what kind of team Marcus Freeman has. There’s no "cupcake" month to start the year. It’s a sprint.
The BYU Controversy and the Road Ahead
There is one specific date on the 2026 schedule that has been making people's heads explode on message boards lately. It's the trip to Provo.
For the first time in forever, Notre Dame is heading to altitude to play BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium. This game is a big deal because of the weird history between these two programs. A lot of people—sports pundits like Drake Toll included—have been vocal about Notre Dame "dodging" certain matchups in the past. Heading into the Rockies in late October or November (the specific date is still a bit of a moving target in the late-season shuffle) is a statement.
It’s a physical game in a hostile environment. It’s exactly the kind of game that critics say the Irish avoid.
Where the USC Rivalry Went
You’ve probably noticed something missing. Where is USC?
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This is the "nuance" part of being an independent program that people usually get wrong. The Notre Dame-USC series is currently on a bit of a weird hiatus due to the massive shifting of conference tectonic plates. While it’s the greatest intersectional rivalry in sports, scheduling it isn't as simple as it used to be now that the Big Ten has swallowed half the West Coast.
Don't panic. The rivalry isn't dead. It's just... complicated. For 2026, the focus shifts to other ACC and Big Ten matchups that fulfill those long-standing broadcast contracts with NBC.
Actionable Steps for the Offseason
If you're already itching for kickoff, don't just sit there. Here is how you actually prepare for the next time the Irish play:
- Check the 12-team Playoff Bracket: Since we're in the 2026 cycle, the way Notre Dame approaches its schedule has changed. They don't have a conference championship game. This means that late-season games against teams like Miami (November 7) and Boston College (November 21) are basically playoff elimination games.
- Peacock Subscription: Like it or not, at least one game (likely the home tilt against NC State or Syracuse if they're on the docket) will be a Peacock exclusive. Sort your login now so you aren't scrambling at 3:25 PM on a Saturday.
- The Shamrock Series: Keep an eye on the Navy game. It's currently slated for October 31, 2026, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. If you want tickets, you need to be looking at the lottery system by late spring 2025.
Notre Dame football never really "stops." The recruiting trail is a 24/7 soap opera, and the transfer portal window in December usually dictates how that September opener in Green Bay is going to go. Keep your eyes on the spring practice reports starting in March; that’s where the 2026 season is actually won.