The college football season kicks off Saturday, September 6, with a marquee matchup between the No. 4-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. For fans looking to watch the game without cable, DIRECTV is offering a five-day free trial of its live TV streaming service, which includes NBC among its sports-focused channels.
Notre Dame, under coach Marcus Freeman, enters the season with high expectations after winning ten games last year and narrowly missing the College Football Playoff. The team is led by quarterback CJ Carr and cornerback Leonard Moore. They are projected as significant favorites, with oddsmakers placing them 20.5 points ahead of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin, coached by Luke Fickell, is looking to rebound from a 4-8 record in 2025. The Badgers will debut new starting quarterback Colton Joseph, a transfer from Old Dominion, and welcome back linebacker Sebastian Cheeks. Fickell acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating, "We’ve got to find a way to close a gap... We’re going to find out real quick at what gaps there were and what we’ve seen and where we are."