Navy Announces New Location for Future Game Against Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The new location will be a first for the two teams who have played against each other since 1927.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

A new chapter to one of college football’s oldest rivalries has been announced.

According to a release from Navy Athletics, Gillette Stadium will host the 99th meeting between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Navy Midshipmen in 2026. The game will take place in Foxboro, Massachusetts, the home of the New England Patriots. 

It will be the second time the Midshipmen play at Gillette Stadium as they went up against their service academy rival last season in the 2023 Army-Navy Game.

"The extraordinary effort put forth by the Kraft Group, the New England Patriots, and the entire New England area for the 2023 Army-Navy Game made it logical to bring back another great rivalry, the 99th playing of the Navy-Notre Dame Game, to Gillette Stadium on Oct. 31, 2026," said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. "The Boston area is a terrific place to visit in the fall and I have no doubt both Navy and Notre Dame fans will pack Gillette Stadium."

Notre Dame has a commanding lead in the series as they lead 81-13-1 all-time. 

The Midshipmen will hope that their performance in the 2026 game against the Irish will go better than their performance this season. Navy picked up their first loss of the season in a 51-14 blowout loss earlier this year against Notre Dame. 

The game is scheduled for Oct. 31, 2026, which would be approximately Week 9 or 10 of the college football season. It will continue one of the longest-running rivalries in college sports, as the history of the Navy-Notre Dame Game dates back to 1927.