The Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Navy Midshipmen football game in 2026 will be played at Gillette Stadium, Navy announced on Tuesday.
Notre Dame and Navy will square off at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. The stadium, which is the home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, has a seating capacity of 64,628.
“The extraordinary effort put forth by the Kraft Group, the New England Patriots and the entire New England area for the 2023 Army-Navy Game made it logical to bring back another great rivalry, the 99th playing of the Navy-Notre Dame Game, to Gillette Stadium on Oct. 31, 2026,” said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. “The Boston area is a terrific place to visit in the fall and I have no doubt both Navy and Notre Dame fans will pack Gillette Stadium.”
Gillette Stadium has hosted 24 college football games in its history, 23 of which were UMass Minutemen home contests from 2010 through 2018. The other contest and most recent was the 2023 Army-Navy Game.
“We are thrilled to host the 2026 Navy-Notre Dame Game and welcome these two historic programs and their passionate fan bases to Gillette Stadium for the first time in this storied, century-long rivalry,” said Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group. “We are honored that Navy has chosen Gillette Stadium and our region as the host for the 99th playing of this game steeped in tradition. New England has a deep appreciation for competition at the highest level and the sacrifices and cohesive teamwork that reaching such heights requires. The Midshipmen and Fighting Irish epitomize this, and we look forward to welcoming one of the gridiron’s greatest rivalries to Gillette Stadium in 2026.”
The 2026 Notre Dame-Navy game will mark the first time the prestigious matchup has been played in New England. It will also mark Notre Dame’s first appearance in Gillette Stadium and Navy’s second.
“Hosting the prestigious Navy-Notre Dame Game for the first time is an incredible opportunity to showcase our destination as we welcome football fans and the Navy and Notre Dame communities to Massachusetts,” said Martha J. Sheridan, President and CEO of Meet Boston. “Our sports teams and spirited rivalries are integral parts of the fabric of our region. Having this iconic college football game here in the Commonwealth in the midst of a quintessential New England fall will be an incredible economic driver for our visitor economy and the entire region.”
Notre Dame and Navy met for the 95th time in their history on Oct. 26, 2024 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Fighting Irish defeated the Midshipmen 51-14 and currently lead the overall series 81-13-1.
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Have lots of enthusiasm for New England hosting Notre Dame-Navy
Excellent job!!!
It may be ND’s first appearance at Gillette Stadium, but I do believe the first-ever Notre Dame-Boston College meeting was in “Foxboro” on a Monday night in September 1975.