Notre Dame Releases Full 2026 Schedule

Notre Dame has released its full 2026 football schedule, a slate that opens on one of the sport’s most recognizable stages and includes what is sure to be one of the most-hyped rematches of the College Football regular season.

The Irish will begin the season with a Shamrock Series matchup against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field before hosting Miami on Nov. 7th. The Irish and Hurricanes opened the 2025 season in Miami, a game Miami won 27-24 that ended up determining both team’s College Football Playoff dreams at the end of the year.

Notre Dame’s 2026 schedule features three Big Ten opponents, six ACC teams, and additional matchups against Navy, Rice and BYU. 

The Shamrock Series opener against Wisconsin will be played Sunday, Sept. 6, and broadcast on NBC and Peacock. The game was originally scheduled for 2020 before being postponed due to COVID. 

It is the second game of a two-game series between the programs, following Notre Dame’s 41-13 win at Soldier Field in 2021. The matchup will be just the second between the schools since 1964. Wisconsin was 4-8 this past season.

This is the sixth straight year the Irish will open the season away from home, the longest such stretch in program history, this time in Green Bay. The 2026 campaign also marks the third straight season in which Notre Dame will play at least two regular-season games in NFL stadiums.

Notre Dame returns home on Sept. 12 to host Rice for the first time since 2014. The Irish are 5-0 all-time against the Owls and 3-0 in games played in South Bend. Rice finished 2025 with a record of 5-8 and finished 11th in the American Athletic Conference. 

Five rivalry trophy games are included.

The Megaphone Trophy rivalry resumes Sept. 19 when Michigan State returns to Notre Dame Stadium for the first time since 2017, a 38-13 Irish victory. The Spartans have a new leader in former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who took over after Michigan State finished 2025 with a 4-8 record, including a 1-8 mark in the Big Ten. 

The Shillelagh Trophy is on the line again Sept. 26 when Notre Dame travels to West Lafayette to face Purdue. The Irish beat Purdue 56-30 in South Bend last season and 66-7 in their previous trip to Ross-Ade Stadium in 2024. Notre Dame has taken 10 straight meetings. The Boilermakers finished the 2025 season 2-10 overall and 0-9 in the Big Ten in Barry Odom’s first season as head coach. 

Notre Dame visits North Carolina on Oct. 3 for the first time since 2022, when the Irish earned a 45-32 road win. The opening of the Bill Belichick Era in Chapel Hill didn’t go smoothly as the Tar Heels finished the year 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the ACC in 2025. 

Stanford returns to Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 10 to renew the Legends Trophy rivalry for the 39th time. The series has been played every season since 1997, excluding 2020, with Notre Dame holding a 24-14 advantage. Former Cardinal quarterback Tavita Pritchard will be in his first year as head coach for Stanford after the squad went 4-8 under interim head coach Frank Reich last year. Notre Dame won the 2025 matchup in Palo Alto 49-20. 

The Irish travel to Provo on Oct. 17 to face BYU for the 10th time in program history. Notre Dame defeated the Cougars 28-20 in the 2022 Shamrock Series at Allegiant Stadium. This game replaces USC, which is no longer on the schedule for the foreseeable future. Outside of Miami, BYU had the most successful 2025 season of any opponent the Irish will face this coming year, going 12-2 overall and 8-1 in the Big 12. 

The Navy rivalry will be renewed Oct. 31 in Foxborough, Mass., marking the 99th meeting between the programs and the 60th played at a neutral site. It will be Notre Dame’s first game at Gillette Stadium. The Irish lead the all-time series 84-13-1. The Midshipmen had a successful 2025 season, going 11-2 overall and 7-1 in the American, although one of their losses was a 49-10 drubbing by the Irish. 

Miami returns to Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 7 for the first time since 2016. The Hurricanes’ visit will mark their first trip to South Bend in November since 1976 and the third-latest date the programs have met. The Hurricanes finished 2025 with a 13-3 overall mark, including three Playoff wins before losing to Indiana in the National Championship.

Boston College visits Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 14 for the 28th meeting in the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl rivalry. The Eagles last appeared in South Bend in 2022, when the Irish recorded a 44-0 victory. BC had a dreadful 2025 season, going 2-10 overall and 1-7 in the ACC. The Eagles actually played the Irish tight in Chestnut Hill though, with Notre Dame earning a tough 25-10 win in the end. 

SMU comes to South Bend on Nov. 21 for the programs’ first meeting since 1989 and their first matchup since the Mustangs joined the ACC. SMU finished 2025 with a 9-4 overall record and 6-2 ACC mark. 

The regular season concludes Nov. 28 at Syracuse. Notre Dame leads the series 8-3, and the game will mark just the fourth time the Irish have played in Syracuse. The Orange had a tough 2025, finishing 3-9 overall and 1-7 in the ACC and were smashed by the Irish 70-7 in South Bend in November. But Syracuse was off to an impressive start, winning three of its first four to start the season before losing starting quarterback - and former Notre Dame signal-caller - Steve Angeli to a season-ending injury. Angeli will be back in 2026. 

2026 Notre Dame Football Schedule

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