Why Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin is being played at Lambeau in historic first

It's a prove-it year for coach Luke Fickell at Wisconsin, but the Badgers open their season with a monumentally difficult test.

Notre Dame travels to Wisconsin to start its season on Sunday night, though the game won't actually be played in Madison. Instead, the Fighting Irish will battle the Badgers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

The home of the Packers makes for a historic setting as a historic program visits Wisconsin, but what brought the season opener to Green Bay?

Here's what you need to know about Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.

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Why is Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin being played at Lambeau?

Sunday's game between Notre Dame and Wisconsin is part of the Shamrock Series, which the school says is an effort to "take a home game on the road." The Shamrock Series has brought Notre Dame to Chicago, Las Vegas, Boston and even the Bronx. That also means Notre Dame will be the designated home team despite facing Wisconsin in Wisconsin.

This game was originally scheduled for 2020 before being rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Notre Dame and Wisconsin played what was supposed to be the second game of a two-game series at Soldier Field in 2021, with the Irish winning 41-13, but it took until 2026 for the two to meet for what was supposed to be the first game.

Lambeau Field has some extra meaning for Notre Dame, as namesake Curly Lambeau spent his college days at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame's most recent Shamrock Series game came at Yankee Stadium in 2024, when the Irish faced Army.

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History of college football at Lambeau Field

Lambeau Field has only hosted three college football games in its history, including one Wisconsin game in 2016:

Vince Lombardi's alma mater, Fordham, played a game at Lambeau Field in back-to-back seasons to support the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation more than a decade after the legendary Packers coach's death.

The second game was attended by less than 1,000 fans, but more than 77,000 showed up 33 years later when Wisconsin upset LSU in 2016. Notre Dame, with its wide-reaching fan base, figures to take away some of the Badgers' home-field advantage when the two face off on Sunday.