Ranking the Notre Dame Football Schedule from Naptime to Must-See

As Marcus Freeman says, we only get 12 games a year, but even those 12 are nowhere near all the same

Oct 29, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrate after a touchdown by wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (6) in the first quarter against the Miami Hurricanes at Notre Dame Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Every Notre Dame football game is its own event. Afterall, there are just 12 of these each regular season, and as last year showed, nothing is handed out and a trip to the postseason isn't a guarantee.

Roughly 80,000 fans will pack Notre Dame Stadium each home Saturday this fall, while hundreds of thousands more will combine to see the Fighting Irish on the road.

That all said, the 12 games on Notre Dame's schedule for 2026 aren't all the same.

From what could be the biggest regular season game of the year in college football, to what could be some of the most lopsided games we see - here is Notre Dame's schedule based on watchability.

Notre Dame Schedule: Saturday Naps

Rice: Yes, it's the home opener, but Rice is a game that shouldn't be compelling for long. Expect Notre Dame to run away early with this one and for things to get lopsided and set up for a potentially great late Saturday afternoon snooze.

Purdue: The last time Notre Dame went to Purdue it handed the Boilermakers one of the worst losses in program history. This one shouldn't be that bad, but it shouldn't be competitive for more than a quarter and a half or so, either.

Stanford: This used to be must-watch TV for any college football fan for a few short years. Times have changed, though, and the only positive for this is that it doesn't start after 10 p.m. ET in Palo Alto this year.

Boston College: 1993 and 2002 were both a very long time ago. Expect highlights from both to be shown during the broadcast because they'll be more interesting to a neutral observer than the beatdown that happens in South Bend.

Notre Dame Schedule: Potential Second-TV Type of Games

North Carolina: You might not stick with this one on your main TV all the way through because of the potential beatdown, but you aren't going to want to miss getting to see Bill Belichick get his world rocked. Think they'll show any cheerleading highlights on the telecast?

Navy: There is a decent chance Navy contends for a College Football Playoff spot and wins the American Conference but don't expect this to be close. Notre Dame has outscored Navy 142-27 over the last three years.

Syracuse: Syracuse shouldn't be overly good, but after what happened last year, someone can't risk sleeping through any of the final regular-season games. I don't think Notre Dame's season will be in jeopardy of ending this week, but then again, I thought the same last November at Stanford. You don't want to miss any of this, in case things don't go as planned with the Playoff.

Notre Dame Schedule: Plan Your Day Around

The power to leap was inside them all along...

The only thing missing was the uniform.#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/3DQaDDOiKe

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 25, 2026

Wisconsin: The opener coupled with a traditionally strong program (even if Wisconsin is on a bit of hard times), in a historic venue. Clear out Sunday night of Labor Day weekend and enjoy Notre Dame football officially being back.

Michigan State: Notre Dame Stadium under the lights is always a sight to behold, even if Michigan State is in the middle of a rebuild. Longtime rivals get together for the first time in almost a decade, and I have a feeling this turns into more of a game than Notre Dame fans want it to be.

SMU: A top 20 opponent in the preseason rankings and the final home game of the regular season. It's not in the elite category but it's certainly knocking on the door and worth mentioning that SMU is a combined 31-10 over the last three seasons.

Notre Dame Schedule: Cancel Rest of Plans for Day

Oct 18, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougar fans rush the field after a win over the Utah Utes at LaVell Edwards Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

BYU: BYU is a College Football Playoff contender and Provo will be a hornet's nest when Notre Dame walks into it. Sure, Notre Dame is a double-digit favorite but this is easily the hardest road game Notre Dame has this year and comes against a team looking for a marquee victory that'll change how its viewed nationally.

Notre Dame Schedule: Once a Decade Game

Miami: There are special games at Notre Dame Stadium and then there are really special games. Everything is set up for the first Saturday in November to be one of those all-time Saturdays in South Bend.

Notre Dame and Miami are two of the biggest threats to win a national championship this year, are coming off the 2025 opener which ended with Miami winning thrillingly. Some argue this is the biggest Notre Dame home game since the Bush Push game of 2005, and perhaps even Florida State in 1993.

This is simply unmissable for any college football fan, especially Notre Dame and Miami fans.