The upcoming clash on September 6, 2024, will see the University of Notre Dame take on the University of Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, the historic home of the Green Bay Packers. It marks the first time the Irish have set foot in Green Bay since 2016 and the third college football contest held at the stadium since it was christened with its iconic name.
The birth of a franchise
Earl ‘Curly’ Lambeau, a Green Bay native who once wore the blue and gold of Notre Dame as a fullback under legendary coach Knute Rockne, played a pivotal role in the university’s inaugural 1918 season. His performances, including touchdowns in the team’s opening game against Case Tech, hinted at a talent that would later reshape professional football.
In 1919, Lambeau joined forces with sportswriter George Whitney Calhoun to launch the Green Bay Packers, a team funded with a modest $500 contribution from the Indian Packing Company. The squad’s early uniforms borrowed the Notre Dame color scheme, a nod to Lambeau’s collegiate roots.
Lambeau’s influence extended beyond playing; he guided the Packers for 29 seasons, amassing a record that still stands as one of the most enduring in NFL history. After his death in 1965, the franchise honored him by renaming its stadium Lambeau Field, a tribute that has become a pilgrimage site for football enthusiasts.
The 2024 matchup will be only the third college game hosted at Lambeau Field since the renaming and the first since 2016, underscoring the stadium’s growing role in collegiate football. For Notre Dame, the game offers a chance to reconnect with a lineage that blends its own early history with the professional saga that Lambeau helped create.