The 2026 College Football season has already begun, and in Week 1 there will be an interesting clash between two contenders: Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Wisconsin Badgers. The particularity of this game has as a colorful fact the venue: due to an agreement signed between both universities in 2017, this game will be played at the legendary Lambeau Field.
Barry Alvarez, then-UW athletic director, had revealed at the time: “To play a game there … and the atmosphere turned into a college atmosphere and just the electricity around Green Bay and in the stadium was truly special for our athletes.”
In this contract, two games were arranged: one in 2020 at the stadium of the Green Bay Packers, and another in 2021 at Soldier Field. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 game ended up being postponed until this season.
This will be another one of the many games that UW has played in recent years against opponents from another conference at a neutral site. The Badgers played LSU in Houston in 2014, as well as Alabama in Arlington, Texas, in 2015.
Michael Mayer #87 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is dropped by Scott Nelson #9 of the Wisconsin Badgers.
How many fans are attending Notre Dame vs Wisconsin at Lambeau Field?
Lambeau Field is one of the NFL’s historic venues, with its distinctive green and yellow colors throughout the stands. For this important matchup between Notre Dame and Wisconsin, around 80,000 people are expected to pack the stadium.
Who will be the home team at Lambeau Field?
Although Lambeau Field will be a neutral stadium, which is why both schools will receive the same number of tickets to ensure their place in the stands, there will be a home team. Despite the fact that they will not use the Green Bay Packers’ locker room, the team chosen for this occasion is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
This choice basically comes down to what was agreed upon in that agreement signed years ago: The Badgers were the home team at the Chicago Bears’ stadium, and now it is Marcus Freeman’s team’s turn to do so.
More NCAAF games at neutral sites
Week 1 of College Football will also feature another game to be played at an NFL stadium. Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, will be the setting for an interesting matchup between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Louisville Cardinals.
