The No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish is playing one of its permanent rival opponents this weekend, set to take on the Navy Midshipmen.
The two teams have played since 1927, and will meet for the 96th time on Saturday. The longtime rivals have usually played in either South Bend or Baltimore, Md., but will be played in a brand new location this year.
Saturday's game will kick off from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. for the very first time. Here's a look at why the game is being played in a Boston suburb as well as the history of locations for the clash.
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Where is Notre Dame-Navy being played?
The 2026 Notre Dame-Navy game on Saturday afternoon will be played at the home of the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium. The stadium has hosted Navy before for its annual rivalry game against Army in 2023. But this marks the first time the stadium has hosted the Navy-Notre Dame rivalry.
The Fighting Irish, meanwhile, will be making its first-ever appearance in the stadium.
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Notre Dame vs. Navy Stadium details
- Stadium: Gillette Stadium
- Capacity: 64,628
The stadium is known primarily for being the home of the New England Patriots. It was opened in May 2002, but it has hosted several college football games. The stadium served as the home stadium for UMass in 2012 and 2013 as the school's stadium underwent renovations.
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Notre Dame-Navy location history
The rivalry was considered the longest uninterrupted rivalry in college football, being played consecutively from 1927-2020. But that streak was cancelled in 2020 as the two teams didn't play due to scheduling and logistical hurdles during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The game is usually played in South Bend when Notre Dame is the home team, as it has been played there 37 times. The game had another 23 appearances in Baltimore, Md. Annapolis has hosted the game just two times in 2024 and 2014.
From 1980-1992, the series alternated between South Bend and East Rutherford, NJ at MetLife Stadium. It has also alternated between Philadelphia and South Bend from 1960-74, and was played in Cleveland 11 times spreading across the 1920s-50s. in the 1920s been played in Philadelphia
The game has also been played in some one-off locations, such as Jacksonville, Fla., San Diego, Calif., Orlando, Fla. and Dublin, Ireland in 1996, 2012 and 2023. Typically, the game is played on the east coast.
ND-Navy host cities
| City | Stadium | Number of times played |
| South Bend, Ind. | Notre Dame Stadium | 37 |
| Baltimore, Md. | Memorial Stadium/M&T Bank | 23 |
| Cleveland, Oh. | Cleveland Stadium | 11 |
| Philadelphia, Pa. | Veterans Stadium | 9 |
| East Rutherford, N.J. | Giants/MetLife Stadium | 9 |
| Dublin, Ireland | Croke Park/Aviva Stadium | 3 |
| San Diego, Calif. | SDDCU Stadium | 1 |
| Jacksonville, Fla. | Everbank Stadium | 1 |
| Orlando, Fla. | Florida Citrus Bowl | 1 |
| Landover, Md. | FedEx Field | 1 |
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