says the Notre Dame schedule is entering its 37th season on NBC and Peacock in 2026, underlining just how central the Fighting Irish have become to the network’s sports identity. It is a partnership that began in early 1990 and has grown into one of the most enduring relationships in American broadcasting.
That matters because Notre Dame is not simply another college football property for NBC. Under the current agreement, every Notre Dame home game will be shown nationally, giving the network a year-round anchor around one of the sport’s most recognisable names.
A partnership built over decades
The connection between NBC and Notre Dame sits inside a much wider broadcasting story. NBC launched its radio broadcasting in fall 1926, and the network is now presenting the partnership as part of its 100 years in broadcasting. In that context, Notre Dame has remained one of the most important names associated with NBC’s sports coverage.
The school’s football history helps explain why. From 1924 to 1949, Notre Dame claimed seven national championships. It added another in 1966, then two more in the 1970s. By the time NBC Sports signed Notre Dame to a TV deal in early 1990, the Fighting Irish already carried the weight of a long tradition.
That original deal was initially for five years, and the relationship quickly became one of the defining television partnerships in the college game. There was one last Notre Dame game that went to a different network in late 1990, but the broader direction was clear: NBC had found a home with a program that still commanded national attention.
Why Notre Dame still matters to NBC
The timing was notable too. Notre Dame had been part of the College Football Association in the mid-1970s, then later moved through a stretch that reinforced its ability to remain relevant on its own terms. The Fighting Irish went unbeaten in 1988 and lost just one game in 1989, showing that the program still had the profile and quality to sit at the centre of the sport.
Lou Holtz was in charge for much of that era, and NBC’s own history with the team included those difficult early seasons, when Notre Dame went through two three-loss campaigns after joining NBC and then produced a 10-1-1 record in 1992. By 1993, Notre Dame looked like its fierce old selves again.
That is why the 2026 announcement is more than a simple schedule note. NBC is not just showing games; it is leaning into a relationship that has lasted across eras, coaches and championship cycles. For the Fighting Irish, the Notre Dame schedule remains a national event. For NBC, it remains one of the clearest examples of a sports partnership that has stood the test of time.
