The Big Ten Network recently got a closer look at the Wisconsin Badgers ahead of a crucial 2026 season.
Head coach Luke Fickell is tasked with saving his job, and his reward is facing Notre Dame to kick off the year.
Fickell knows this is a massive opportunity for the Badgers, and it'll come on Sunday, September 6, in front of a sold-out crowd at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI.
This doesn't feel like the typical neutral site or even road game, so it'll just come down to whether Wisconsin can pull off a miracle at Lambeau as they did against LSU back in 2016.
"We got to be playing our best ball at the beginning of the year."
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 8, 2026
Luke Fickell talks @BadgerFootball's Week 1 matchup vs. Notre Dame 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/L2Qt8GsgXh
"Having these guys coming
out of the gate, I think it's good for us," Fickell said. "I think it makes a different focus as you get into camp and a different emphasis on some things."
He continued, "It's not all about the first game, but we know the first month in the season we got to be playing really good football. I've always been one of those guys saying you need to need to play your best ball at the end of the year, but it's a little bit different here, we gotta be playing our best ball at the beginning of the year."
BTN highlighted the Badgers' four most notable games this year against the Fighting Irish, and then again a huge conference showdown at Penn State to end the month.
While yes, there are a pair of "easy" non-conference schedule games in the mix, nothing has come easy for Fickell during his time in Madison, so wins against Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan are far from guaranteed.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell previews week one showdown vs. Notre Dame
