Wisconsin opens the 2026 season on Sunday night with a heavyweight test against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, and the matchup comes with plenty of fresh faces for the Badgers.
After a 4-8 finish in 2025, Wisconsin has overhauled its roster through the transfer portal and recruiting, hoping the changes can spark a turnaround. At the center of that makeover is quarterback Colton Joseph, a transfer from Old Dominion who started two seasons there and gives the Badgers a mobile presence they have been missing for a while.
Joseph is expected to steer an offense that wants to get back to doing damage on the ground while still threatening defenses with explosive plays through the air. Wisconsin has also added transfer help on defense, especially up front and in the secondary. Even so, the unit’s most important returning voices are sophomore linebackers Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano, who finished No. 1 and No. 2 on the team in tackles last season despite not entering the starting lineup until midway through the year.
There’s a belief inside the program that this season can look a lot different because of a lighter schedule, more depth across the roster and a second year in coordinator Jeff Grimes’ offense. For Luke Fickell, it’s a critical year. He enters with a 17-21 overall record and a 10-17 mark in Big Ten play over four seasons in Madison.
Notre Dame arrives with far bigger ambitions. The Irish are aiming for a national title and bring a deep roster led by quarterback CJ Carr, who is projected to be one of the top picks in next year’s NFL Draft. Notre Dame also has Wisconsin ties on its coaching staff.
The game is being played at Lambeau Field because of a two-game contract the schools signed in 2017. The first meeting came at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2021, when Notre Dame rolled to a 41-13 win. The Lambeau matchup had originally been set for 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic pushed it to this year.
Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame will air nationally on NBC.
Dan Hicks will handle play-by-play, Jason Garrett will be the analyst and Caroline Pineda will work the sideline. Streaming options include Peacock and Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, Sept. 6.
Badgers beat reporter John Steppe will host a live blog during the game with updates, highlights, observations and analysis from the press box.
On radio, Matt Lepay will call the action with Mark Tauscher as analyst and Patrick Herb on the sideline. On SiriusXM, the Wisconsin broadcast is on Channel 82 and the Notre Dame broadcast is on Channel 84.
A pair of predictions in the source lean toward Notre Dame, but both note that Wisconsin can still gain something from the night. Mark Stewart wrote that success for the Badgers could mean offensive progress, a turnover or two on defense and strong special teams, picking Notre Dame 31, Wisconsin 14. John Steppe projected Notre Dame 41, Wisconsin 17, pointing to Wisconsin’s 34 transfers and the challenge of facing an experienced Irish team led by Carr and cornerback Leonard Moore.
Wisconsin’s 2026 schedule continues after Sunday with Westerm Illinois on Sept. 12, Eastern Michigan on Sept. 19 and a Big Ten opener at Penn State on Sept.
- The Badgers are listed at 0-0 overall and 0-0 in the Big Ten.
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Wisconsin Just Got An O-Line Reality Check Before Notre Dame
Wisconsins offensive line is already dealing with an early test before the season even kicks off, with starting right guard Emerson Mandell expected to miss the opener because of a foot injury. The good news for the Badgers is that starting right tackle Kevin Heywood is expected to play despite a lower-body injury, leaving the front five close to intact as the team prepares for a difficult start to the schedule.
Even so, the situation is a reminder that the Badgers may need to lean on some early flexibility up front, with the possibility of rotation at guard and right tackle if needed. Official injury reports do not come until conference play begins, so the full picture will stay a little cloudy for now, but Wisconsin already knows it may have to shuffle pieces before it can find its best five. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Gets An Early Reality Check Against Notre Dame
Wisconsins 2026 season opener already carries the feel of a measuring stick, and not a forgiving one. The Badgers will kick off Sunday night at Lambeau Field against fourth-ranked Notre Dame, a marquee stage that arrives before Luke Fickells team has even settled into its new identity. Fickell has spent camp talking about the progress Wisconsin has made while folding in 34 transfer players and introducing a new quarterback who has yet to take a game snap.
The betting line says plenty about the size of the task, with Wisconsin listed as a 20.5-point underdog. For a program trying to sort out chemistry, roles and leadership in a hurry, opening against a playoff-caliber opponent leaves little room to ease in. It also gives the Badgers an immediate chance to see how far the offseason work has really carried them, and how much more there is to do once the lights come on. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Has One Clear Way To Make Notre Dame Uncomfortable
Notre Dame will bring the more imposing roster into this matchup, but Wisconsin does have a path to make the Irish a little uneasy. The Badgers can lean on a pass rush that needs to affect quarterback CJ Carr early, and Sebastian Cheeks gives them at least one defender capable of helping turn that into a real problem. If Wisconsin can force Notre Dame into longer down-and-distance situations, it can keep the game from becoming a straight talent contest.
The most obvious place to poke at is on the edge, where Notre Dame is still sorting out its tackle situation and trying to protect a young quarterback with limited room for error. Wisconsin does not need to overwhelm the Irish everywhere to create stress, just enough disruption up front to make Carr hold the ball and turn a clean offensive script into something more awkward. Against a deeper roster, that kind of pressure point may be the Badgers best way to keep things uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]