For just the third time ever, college football is returning to Lambeau Field.
The Wisconsin Badgers are set to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Green Bay on Sunday, September 6, 2026. This will be the first collegiate game played at the Packers’ home venue since 2016, when Wisconsin defeated the LSU Tigers.
This matchup was originally scheduled back in October 2020 as the first of a two-game series between the schools, but like most everything else that year, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fighting Irish won their meeting with the Badgers at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2021.
The 2020 matchup was intended to be the schools’ first meeting in Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series. These contests are Notre Dame’s “home games on the road” and have been played nearly every season since the series’ inception in 2009.
The Shamrock Series games are intended to be the focal point, but not the entirety, of the weekend, as Notre Dame hosts a variety of events around the matchups themselves.
The highly unusual Sunday matchup is made possible by the fact that the NFL season will not begin until Thursday, September 10. And remember: Monday, September 7, 2026 is Labor Day, so this will be a three-day weekend.
How fans can prepare for the game
Although the game is almost a year-and-a-half away, it’s never too early to start making plans for events like this.
Ticketing information will be released at a future date, so be on the lookout. We’ll update you before tickets go on sale.
As far as travel plans go, it’s too early for flight planning, but there are some hotel chains that will already be accepting reservations for next September.
| Hotel Chain | Booking Window | Open Date for 9/4/26 |
|---|---|---|
| Best Western | 349 days | 9/20/25 |
| Choice Hotels | Various | 9/19/25 (for paid stays) |
| Hilton | 365 days | 9/4/25 |
| IHG Hotels | 350 days | 9/19/25 |
| Marriott | 354 days | 9/15/25 |
| Radisson | 730 days | 9/4/24 |
| Hyatt | 394 days | 8/6/25 |
| Wyndham | 364 days | 9/5/25 |
Bottom line
Wisconsin and Notre Dame both have incredibly dedicated fan bases, so this matchup in such a historic venue as Lambeau Field will be pretty special. Fans interested in attending this game should keep an eye out for ticketing information as it’s released and should start thinking about travel plans well in advance to ensure they have the best trip possible to the Frozen Tundra.
