Wisconsin Football Revives Red Helmets for Notre Dame Blockbuster at Lambeau

The Badgers' released their 2026 Week 1 alternate uniforms.

Wisconsin's 2026 Lambeau uniforms. | @BadgerFootball on X

The last time Wisconsin football wore a brand new alternate uniform, it got throttled by Notre Dame at Soldier Field.

The Badgers are hoping to avenge that loss Sept. 6 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay against the same opponent, donning new threads once again.

Wisconsin released its 2026 Lambeau Uniforms on Thursday, revealing what the Badgers will wear that first Sunday night of September against the Fighting Irish.

Where past meets present.

More about the details behind the design ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/eQGoN8l3cI

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) July 9, 2026

The uniform meets the venue 🤝 pic.twitter.com/Ni8IVt20Ad

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) July 9, 2026

It's good to see Wisconsin embrace an alternate uniform instead of just mixing and matching the red and white pants/jerseys as it has in recent seasons. And on first glance? These are pretty clean. Here's a few immediate reactions from the Badgers' uniform drop:

Red Helmets Return

Wisconsin hasn't worn red helmets since 2014. Those were Adidas red helmets, however — this is the Badgers' first red Under Armour helmet. Those 2014 helmets are similar to these new ones in that they're the inverse colors, with a white Motion W and the rest of the helmet red. However, the 2026 edition ditches the black highlights on the helmet and instead features two silver stripes down the middle.

This also looks to be the first time Wisconsin wears all red from top to bottom. Even in 2013 and 2014, when the team broke out the red helmets, the Badgers paired those with white pants or a jersey. Wisconsin is going full "color rush" mode here.

Devil's in the details

The uniform has several interesting details and design quirks, diagramed by the football program upon release.

The silver on the numbers and helmet are inspired by the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the ultimate goal in the NFL that takes its name from the legendary former Green Bay Packers coach.

The stripes on the shoulders are a combination of the Packers' three-stripe combo and Wisconsin's two-stripe approach on its normal jerseys. What's more, the breaks in the shoulders stripes are inspired by the iconic Camp Randall archway's voussoir breaks.

The jersey will also feature the American flag for Labor Day weekend, as well as "All For The W" across the back of the helmet.

Uniform matchup set

NEW: Wisconsin and Notre Dame drop new uniforms for their week 1 matchup at Lambeau Field👀

Thoughts? https://t.co/l84ivLTgTO pic.twitter.com/iVuDkKMI4O

— On3 (@On3) July 9, 2026

Notre Dame has also dropped its uniforms for the 2026 kickoff at Lambeau Field. The most notable detail about the Notre Dame jerseys is that they'll feature names on the back, which of course is something the Irish typically avoid. There's some shamrocks sprinkled in and some detailing on the numbers and nameplate, but otherwise, Notre Dame isn't re-inventing the wheel here.

Wisconsin is clearly going more outside the box by bringing back the red helmets. Quite honestly, this should be an excellent uniform matchup; I think both programs did a great job here.

As if the anticipation for this game couldn't get any more fervent, both teams have now given their fanbases a new uniform to get excited about. With both teams rocking dark colors with metallic accents under the lights, Lambeau Field should look like a movie on Sept. 6.

We're now just 59 days out from kickoff.