When Notre Dame takes on Wisconsin to open the 2026 season for both squads, the Fighting Irish will be heavy favorites. The matchup will also be a rarity for the Big Ten and the Badgers, as it will be one of the only non-conference tilts for a B1G school against a Power 4 program. Badgers’ coach Luke Fickell understands that the situation is quite an opportunity for his team. Still, he also understands that it’s not something anyone in the conference would want to make a regular occurrence.
Fickell put on a brave face when he was asked about being one of the only Big Ten programs opening against one of the best teams in the country. However, he’s also clearly feeling the pressure as the man leading a Badgers squad that has underachieved during his time in Madison.
When asked how he feels about opening the season with Notre Dame, Fickell’s response revealed a coach pulled in two directions. And might even be a coach who feels like his team wouldn’t have put the Irish on the schedule if he’d been around to approve it.
“I tell you what, it's a great opportunity for us as a football program. I think for us in general, we know darn well where we've been the last couple years.”
Luke Fickell admits Notre Dame football opener was not his scheduling choice
“To have the focus of what it is going to be on week one, September 6, not only that it's in Lambeau Field, I think it's helped me as a coach recognize some of the things we have to continue to evolve to be able to do.”
Fickell knows this is a very big game that can really tell him where his current Wisconsin team needs to improve. But he’d clearly rather have a bit more of a cupcake on the schedule if he had his druthers.
“It's been talked about and said we're supposed to do. We know that schedules are created so far in advance. I'm not telling you that this was one of those things where I said, ‘Hey, this is what we should do.’ But it's in front of us. It gives us a great opportunity to say, ‘Hey, there's an incredible focus as we roll into camp because we know it's going to start in the kickoff on September 6.”
Luke Fickell knows he’s got a rather big task ahead of him to open the season. He knows that Notre Dame is expected to roll. But he also knows that every team has an opportunity to show some fight and pull off an improbable upset. The Fighting Irish need to be aware of that too, as the Badgers have very obviously circled the season opener in big bold print.
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