The Green Bay Packers won’t play their first regular-season game at Lambeau Field for more than two weeks, but Matt LaFleur already has one concern about the condition of his home field.
Lambeau hosted Notre Dame and Wisconsin on Sunday, Sept. 6, with the Fighting Irish pulling away for a 41-13 victory. ESPN’s game recap detailed a second half in which Notre Dame turned a 13-10 halftime lead into a comfortable win.
One day later, LaFleur was asked what he thought of the college football showcase.
“It was pretty cool,” LaFleur said, per Zach Jacobson on X. “I just didn’t love all the wear and tear on the field, but it is what it is.”
“It was pretty cool. I just didn’t love all the wear and tear on the field, but it is what it is.”
The Packers open the regular season on the road against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 13 and then visit the Jets in Week 2. Green Bay’s Lambeau Field opener doesn’t arrive until Thursday, Sept. 24, against the Falcons.
Still, LaFleur’s response made clear where his priorities sit with the NFL season about to begin. Lambeau can provide a memorable setting for another marquee football event, but the surface is first and foremost where his team has to play.
Lambeau Field Hosted a Long-Awaited College Football Game
Sunday’s matchup had been years in the making.
Notre Dame and Wisconsin were originally scheduled to meet at Lambeau in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the game to be postponed. The schools eventually moved the matchup to 2026, with Notre Dame serving as the designated home team in its Shamrock Series.
It also marked Notre Dame’s first game at Lambeau Field. Before Sunday, the venue had hosted only two college football games, including Wisconsin’s 16-14 upset of No. 5 LSU in 2016.
The delayed matchup ultimately produced the same final score as the first game of the Notre Dame-Wisconsin neutral-site series. Notre Dame also beat Wisconsin 41-13 at Soldier Field in 2021.
The Packers had promoted a full weekend of events around Sunday’s game, including special merchandise, performances from both school bands and expanded stadium activities, which Packers.com previewed ahead of kickoff.
From an event standpoint, it gave Lambeau an occasion to show off its history and atmosphere before the NFL schedule began. LaFleur didn’t sound opposed to that part, but his hesitation was centered on the cost to the playing surface.
Packers Have Time to Get Lambeau Ready for Home Opener
Green Bay’s scheduling break could help ease any concern.
The Packers will have 18 days between the Notre Dame-Wisconsin game and their Sept. 24 home opener, creating a sizable maintenance window for the organization’s field crew before NFL action returns to Lambeau.
The field itself underwent a major reconstruction in 2018, when the Packers moved to a SISGrass surface. Packers.com detailed the project, describing natural grass reinforced by synthetic fibers stitched seven inches into the ground. The setup was intended to give the surface greater stability while retaining the feel of grass.
That durability is part of what allows Lambeau to handle a demanding football season, but LaFleur’s reaction suggests the Packers would still prefer to limit unnecessary stress on the surface when possible.
Green Bay will have other issues to worry about first.
The regular season begins with a divisional road game in Minnesota, followed by another trip to New York only seven days later. By the time the Packers finally return home, they will be playing their third game in 12 days.
That makes field condition one variable Green Bay would rather have resolved well in advance.
LaFleur enjoyed seeing Lambeau host a rare college football night, although he didn’t hide the tradeoff. With the Packers’ season beginning in less than a week, protecting the surface they will need for the next several months is what their head coach is after.
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