Notre Dame opens the official home portion of its 2026 schedule on Saturday when it welcomes Rice to Notre Dame Stadium. It's the first meeting between programs since the 2014 opener that saw Notre Dame rout the Owls, 48-17.

Notre Dame safety Brauntae Johnson and defensive lineman Jason Onye have been ruled out of Saturday's home opener against Rice and are expected to miss multiple weeks, coach Marcus Freeman said Tuesday.

Notre Dame safety Brauntae Johnson and defensive lineman Jason Onye have been ruled out of Saturday’s home opener against Rice.

Notre Dame can play Shamrock Series games for the next 50 years but it'll be hard to ever top the setting at Lambeau Field.

Notre Dame safety Brauntae Johnson, now in his third season, was injured after 24 defensive snaps in the win over Wisconsin.

This year's Irish often won't be judged by the opponent right in front of them but by what their performance might mean for January.

No. 4 Notre Dame arrives at Lambeau Field on Sunday carrying national championship expectations. Wisconsin shows up shouldering something heavier: pressure to improve under Luke Fickell. This season-opening matchup offers an immediate measuring stick for an Irish team ranked inside the preseason top five and expected to contend deep into December.

Stay tuned to our game week guide for Notre Dame football vs Rice, including kickoff time, how to watch and all the latest storylines.

Notre Dame is now number three in the Associated Press Top 25 poll after beating Wisconsin 41-13 in Week 1. That's a one-spot jump. Notre Dame received four first-place votes. Ohio State is now number one, with Georgia, Texas and Indiana rounding out the top five.