Notre Dame and Navy will play the 99th edition of its rivalry game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Oct. 31, 2026. The site is the home stadium of the New England Patriots and marks the first time this rivalry heads to New England.
The matchup will mark the first time that the Fighting Irish have ever played at Gillette Stadium, while Navy recently took its first trip to Foxborough for the 2023 Army-Navy Game. The Midshipmen will serve as the home team for the neutral-site matchup. These two teams often play in unique locations, including Dublin, Ireland, the Meadowlands and San Diego in recent years.
“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,” Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said in a statement. “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.”
Notre Dame and Navy played the nation’s longest continuous rivalry from 1927-2019 before the game was canceled during the 2020 season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fighting Irish hold a dominant 81-13-1 all-time mark against the Midshipmen and have won 12 of the last 13 games.
The pair recently met up for the 97th iteration of the game, a 51-14 victory for Notre Dame against Navy behind three touchdowns from Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. The Fighting Irish debuted at No. 10 in the first College Football Playoff Rankings and were projected to play seven-seed Penn State at Beaver Stadium in the first round.
“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 Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. “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.”
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