Notre Dame Turns to Green-Out Game to Energize Annual Rivalry

Notre Dame will wear green for what long ago, used to be one of the biggest home games every two years.

Oct 4, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman sings the Alma Mater after beating the Boise State Broncos at Notre Dame Stadium. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Notre Dame announced Monday that the annual "Irish Wear Green" game this football season will come on October 10 against Stanford.

Like much of the Notre Dame football season, the game is already a sellout, but tickets are available on the secondary market.

You know the drill by now, as Notre Dame fans are supposed to wear green and the stadium is essentially has a green-out.

Irish Wear Green on October 10th vs. Stanford, and the game is officially sold out!

Get your tickets on Seatgeek, our preferred ticket marketplace: https://t.co/0iXul0qKrW#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/s23Vj8oHX1

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) June 15, 2026

The concept is cool, but it feels like what Penn State's White Out has turned into ever since the Big Ten aligned with Fox.

Penn State used to have its White Out under lights when someone like Ohio State, Michigan, or another power came to Happy Valley. Now you're seeing it take place against the likes of Minnesota and Washington just as often.

While I like committing to wear green once a year and avoiding the whole "Will Notre Dame come out in green?" thing, this one feels like its being used to try and breathe air into a dying rivalry - but I don't say that as a bad thing.

Notre Dame has a history of having some sleepy afternoon games at home, and this helps combat that to some degree.

Notre Dame vs. Stanford Hardly Moves the Meter

Marcus Freeman often speaks about there only being 12 opportunities (games) per year guaranteed. I appreciate that, but not all 12 are created equally.

The Notre Dame-Stanford rivalry has felt so forced to me for so long.

It's like, "Hey, you're a really good academic school, let's pretend to hate each other!"

Meanwhile, outside of two major upsets in the early 90s and four years from 2012 to 2015, this rivalry has mostly been a dud.

Of late, Notre Dame has won the last three meetings by an average score of 51-16.

I haven't seen the early line on the matchup for 2026 but my guess would be that the 35-point difference wouldn't be too terribly far off.

Maybe the Irish Wear Green game will bring a little more energy to that than the game has had in recent years. I suppose it didn't hurt for the Boise State game last year and certainly went well in the 2024 win over Louisville.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thoughts

I've come around on the Irish Wear Green game as Notre Dame has evolved with it over the years as well.

Remember when it'd be "IRISH WEAR GREEN!" and Jack Swarbrick would be wearing a green t-shirt, but the football team would come out and be wearing blue?

It all aligns better now and helps bump up what historically can be a sleepy atmosphere at Notre Dame Stadium for 3:30 p.m. ET kickoffs.

Miami will be an absurd environment and won't need any further buildup to make Notre Dame Stadium a madhouse.

SMU, probably the second biggest home game, comes on senior day, something Notre Dame has obliterated teams on in recent years.

Michigan State would be a candidate if its main color wasn't green.

I used to sit and poo-poo this and be all about "Notre Dame should only wear blue at home" but that toothpaste is out of the tube and not going back in.

For what it is, this is a finely done job by Notre Dame - nothing more, nothing less.

Now, for the most important part of this whole thing - what color pants will Notre Dame wear for it?

2022 - Notre Dame vs. California

Notre Dame running back Audric Estime (7) runs the ball during the Notre Dame vs. California NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. | Michael Caterina / USA TODAY NETWORK

2023/25 - Notre Dame vs. Ohio State/Boise State

Oct 4, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylen Sneed (3) celebrates a tackle against the Boise State Broncos during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

2024 - Notre Dame vs. Louisville

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) sits out for a snap after being banged up on the previous play during a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Louisville at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For my money, give me the all green. The gold and green matchup horribly, unlike the 2005 greens did against USC, and the white pants make the green tops look like a bacteria-infested marshmallow.

That will conclude our fashion discussion for the week at Notre Dame On SI.