It is Saturday, January 17, 2026, and if you are looking for the Fighting Irish on the gridiron, you are about four months too early. But that doesn’t mean South Bend is quiet. Far from it.
Today is one of those frantic, multi-sport Saturdays where the blue and gold are scattered across the East Coast. If you’re asking who plays Notre Dame today, the answer depends entirely on whether you’re looking for a hardwood showdown or a battle on the ice.
Honestly, the biggest story of the day isn't just one game; it's the sheer geographical spread of the Irish rosters right now. We’ve got men’s basketball coming off a tough afternoon in Blacksburg and hockey gearing up for a primetime "revenge" match in Happy Valley.
The Main Event: Notre Dame Hockey at Penn State
While the basketball team started their day early, the real drama is saved for tonight. At 8:00 PM ET, Notre Dame takes the ice against Penn State at Pegula Ice Arena.
This isn't just another conference game. This is the second half of a back-to-back series that has been, quite frankly, a nightmare for the Irish so far. Last night, Notre Dame dropped a tightly contested 4-1 game to the Nittany Lions. It was a messy affair defined by special teams. If you watched it, you saw the Irish get whistled for a major penalty—a direct contact to the head call on Cole Brown—that basically handed the momentum to Penn State on a silver platter.
Tonight is about pride. The Irish are currently 15-7-0, and while they’ve been solid this season, they’ve struggled to find consistency on the road in the Big Ten.
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- When: 8:00 PM ET
- Where: Pegula Ice Arena, University Park, PA
- How to Listen: Notre Dame Radio Network / Fighting Irish app
- What to Watch For: Can the Irish stay out of the penalty box? Last night they gave up three power-play goals. You can't win in the Big Ten playing a man down for a third of the game.
Coach Jeff Jackson is likely fuming about the discipline issues from Friday night. Expect a much more disciplined, "chip-on-the-shoulder" style of play this evening.
The Early Results: Men’s Basketball at Virginia Tech
If you were looking for the basketball game, you actually just missed it. Notre Dame traveled to Cassell Coliseum to face Virginia Tech in a noon tip-off.
It wasn't the result fans were hoping for. The Irish fell 89-76 to the Hokies.
Basically, Virginia Tech’s Tobi Lawal and Amani Hansberry lived in the paint. Lawal had a career day with 22 points, and the Irish just didn't have the size or the lateral quickness to stop him from getting to the foul line. He shot 18 free throws. Eighteen! That’s an absurd number for a single college player in one game.
Jalen Haralson tried to keep the Irish in it. The freshman has been a bright spot in an otherwise "rebuilding" year, extending his double-digit scoring streak to 15 games. He’s arguably the most talented pure scorer South Bend has seen in a few seasons, but he needs help. Braeden Shrewsberry struggled from deep today (0-for-5 from three), and when your best shooters aren't hitting, it's a long afternoon.
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The loss drops the Irish to 10-8 overall and 1-4 in the ACC. It's getting late early for their tournament hopes.
Beyond the Big Two: Track, Tennis, and Fencing
Notre Dame is a "sports school" in the truest sense, meaning today isn't just about the televised stuff.
Earlier this morning, the Track and Field team opened their 2026 indoor campaign at the Simmons-Harvey Invitational in Ann Arbor. It’s the usual January rust-buster, but keep an eye on the distance runners; Notre Dame’s cross-country success usually translates into some dominant 3000m times this time of year.
Over in New Haven, the Men’s Tennis team actually pulled off a gritty road win against Yale earlier today, winning 4-2. It’s a good start for a program that has been hovering around the top 30 rankings.
The Fencing team—perennially the most successful program on campus—is also in action at the St. John’s Super Cup. People forget that Notre Dame fencing is basically the equivalent of Alabama football; they just don't lose very often.
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Looking Ahead: Why Wednesday Matters
Once the hockey game wraps up tonight, all eyes turn to Wednesday, January 21.
The Men’s Basketball team has to travel to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina. If you think the Virginia Tech game was rough, a trip to the Dean Smith Center is a whole different level of intensity. That game is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET on ESPN2.
For the hockey fans, the Irish return home to the Compton Family Ice Arena next weekend (January 23-24) for a massive series against Ohio State. If they can split this weekend with Penn State tonight, they’ll head home with some much-needed momentum.
Actionable Steps for the Irish Faithful
If you are following the Irish today, here is exactly how to stay updated:
- Tune into the Hockey Broadcast: Since the game isn't on major national TV tonight, pull up the Fighting Irish app or the Penn State stream. Radio is honestly the best way to catch the atmosphere of Pegula anyway.
- Check the Fencing Results: The St. John's Super Cup results usually trickle in late. Check the @NDFencing Twitter (X) account for the individual weapon scores.
- Monitor the Injury Report: Keep an eye on the status of the basketball bench. With the North Carolina game coming up, they need more than a 7-man rotation if they want to stay competitive.
The Irish are currently in the thick of the "winter grind." It's not always pretty, and today's basketball result proves that, but there is still plenty of "Irish" left to play before the sun goes down in University Park.