Gimme Five: Recent Notre Dame football history in NFL stadiums
Notre Dame loves to play in NFL stadiums. By the end of 2026, a quarter of the league will have hosted the Irish since 2021.
Head coach Marcus Freeman will take his group down to Atlanta in Week 8 for their first trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium — the home of the Falcons — which opened in 2017. He said Monday that a domed facility would be a wrinkle for his players, who have not played indoors since Nov. 12, 2022 in Las Vegas.
“I think this week is a little bit different, being indoors,” Freeman said. “You’ve got to continue to remind them that there’s NFL numbers on the field. I think those are things that are important. Crowd noise probably can be a factor in an indoor stadium, and so those are things that you have to remind them as you go into this game before the game.”
NFL stadiums have treated the Irish well, as they’re set to visit another in Week 9 in East Rutherford, N.J. There, they’ll take on Navy at MetLife Stadium, the home of the New York Giants and Jets.
Notre Dame finished its 2022 season with a 45-38 win over South Carolina at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, hosted by the Jaguars. M&T Bank Stadium is the site of the Baltimore Ravens’ home games, and the Irish took on Navy there in 2022 and won 35-32.
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Earlier that season, Notre Dame beat BYU 28-20 in its Shamrock Series game at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Freeman’s first game as the head coach in South Bend came at the Arizona Cardinals’ facility, State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Ariz. The Irish lost 37-35 to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. As defensive coordinator, he also traveled to Chicago to face Wisconsin and pummel the Badgers 41-13 at Soldier Field, home of the Bears.
“That’s what I keep talking about: ‘We’ve been here before,’” Freeman said. “You have to show them: There’s NFL numbers here. Here’s where you’re going to line [up] using college numbers. There’ll be ticks out there. It’s indoor. But hey, let’s prepare for some type of crowd noise. And other than that, probably not much different.”
Notre Dame will head to Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc. for its first game of the 2026 season, also against Wisconsin.
Last five Notre Dame football games in NFL stadiums
| Date | Opponent | Host | Result |
| Dec. 30, 2022 | South Carolina | Jacksonville Jaguars | W, 45-38 |
| Nov. 12, 2022 | Navy | Baltimore Ravens | W, 35-32 |
| Oct. 8, 2022 | BYU | Las Vegas Raiders | W, 28-20 |
| Jan. 1, 2022 | Oklahoma State | Arizona Cardinals | L, 37-35 |
| Sept. 25, 2021 | Wisconsin | Chicago Bears | W, 41-13 |
^ Fiesta Bowl
