Navy Hosts Notre Dame With Flyover, Pyrotechnics
Navy Midshipmen welcomed Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the stadium on October 31, 2026, with abbreviated traditional pregame festivities.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Football
The Navy Midshipmen hosted the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on October 31, 2026. Pregame festivities included an abbreviated March-On, a flyover by four USMC F-35 aircraft, and fireworks and pyrotechnics.
Why it matters
The game marks a meeting between two storied programs in Annapolis, with the pregame ceremony highlighting Navy's military traditions. The event brought the Naval Academy's tradition and military ceremony to the local community.
Four USMC F-35 aircraft performed the pregame flyover over Navy's stadium on October 31, 2026. The extraction does not include game statistics, final score, or player performance metrics.
The players
Navy Midshipmen
The United States Naval Academy's intercollegiate football program, competing as the home team in this game.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The University of Notre Dame's football program, a longstanding national program visiting Annapolis for this matchup.
The details
Navy Senior Noah Bull, Navy Senior Carson de Avila, and Navy Senior Luke Hutchison carried the Navy, American, and Marine Corps flags onto the field. Notre Dame won the coin toss and deferred, and Navy elected to receive the opening kickoff, with Notre Dame defending the South end zone.
Timeline
October 31, 2026: Navy hosts Notre Dame with pregame festivities at the stadium.
Season Trajectory
The October 31 matchup places Navy's home schedule against Notre Dame, a recurring opponent in the long-running Navy-Notre Dame series. The pregame ceremonies reflect the Naval Academy's established football traditions that define its home-game experience.
Fans attending or following the game can expect the Navy-Notre Dame matchup to be played at the Naval Academy's home stadium. The pregame flyover and ceremonies were part of the in-stadium experience on October 31, 2026.
The takeaway
The pregame traditions at Navy home games, from the March-On to military flyovers, shape the matchup experience as much as the game itself. Readers following college football can watch how these ceremonies distinguish Navy's home schedule.
Further reading
Explore more Football coverage for context on the Navy-Notre Dame matchup.
Source note: This article includes information reported by On3.
