No. 4 Notre Dame opens 2026 season vs. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Shamrock Series

No. 4 Notre Dame and Wisconsin are set to kick off the 2026 college football season Sunday night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with a 7:30 p.m. ET start on NBC. The game marks the first Shamrock Series appearance at the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers and only the third college football game ever played in the historic stadium, following St. Norbert vs. Fordham in 1983 and Wisconsin's victory over LSU in 2016.

The matchup was originally scheduled for 2020 before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the second time the two programs have met in the Shamrock Series; Notre Dame defeated Wisconsin 41-13 at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2021. The Fighting Irish carry a perfect 12-0 record into all-time Shamrock Series play and hold a 9-6-2 edge in the overall series with the Badgers.

Quarterback CJ Carr heads into his second season as Notre Dame's starter as the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite on BetMGM at +750 odds. The 6-foot-2 signal-caller completed 195 of 293 passes for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns last season while adding three rushing scores, helping the Irish to a 10-2 record. Wide receiver Jordan Faison, a former Notre Dame lacrosse captain whose leadership qualities drew praise from teammates, is viewed as a primary target in the receiving corps. Notre Dame enters ranked No. 4 in the AP Preseason Poll and No. 5 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, with head coach Marcus Freeman now in his fifth season at 43-12.

Badgers Lean on Dual-Threat Backfield

Wisconsin faces the opener coming off back-to-back losing seasons, and the program did not have a player selected in the 2026 NFL Draft — its first year without a pick since 1978. Head coach Luke Fickell, now in his fourth season at 17-21, will turn to Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph at quarterback. Joseph threw for nearly 2,700 yards and 21 touchdowns at Old Dominion last season while also ranking fifth among all FBS quarterbacks with 1,007 rushing yards. Four-star running back Abu Sama III, the lone four-star transfer among 33 additions, will anchor the backfield alongside former USC backup Bryan Jackson. Second-year offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes inherits an offense that ranked 133rd nationally in scoring at 12.8 points per game and 133rd in total yards at 253.2 per game.

Prediction markets listed Notre Dame's win probability at 92 percent as of Saturday night, and Notre Dame-affiliated analysts projected Irish margins ranging from 24 to 38 points. Badgers Wire staff acknowledged a likely Irish victory but expressed hope Wisconsin could remain competitive into the second half before Notre Dame's depth and talent advantage pulled the game away. Lambeau Field, which holds 81,441, is expected to draw a loud crowd for the primetime opener.