Curly Lambeau Exhibit Links Wisconsin, Notre Dame

Exhibit Details

The Packers Hall of Fame launched a short‑term display on July 18, 2026, titled “6 Degrees of Curly Lambeau.” The show runs through the summer of 2027 and highlights Lambeau’s ties to both the University of Notre Dame and the University of Wisconsin. Visitors see rare photos, original letters and historic documents that illustrate these connections. An additional temporary exhibit runs from Sept 2‑7, 2026, timed with the upcoming college game at Lambeau Field.

Lambeau’s College Journey

Curly Lambeau spent about three months at Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne, an experience he later praised as foundational for his coaching career. He attended Madison for a weekend before the football season but never enrolled at Wisconsin or joined the Badgers. Packers historian Cliff Christl notes that most stories linking Lambeau directly to Wisconsin are false, and his Notre Dame tenure was brief. The letters Lambeau wrote to his future wife, Marguerite Van Kessel, show a sincere tone about his early football days.

Featured Packers Legends

The showcase highlights several Packers who played college football at Wisconsin or Notre Dame, including halfback Charles “Buckets” Goldenberg, a top‑notched Badgers back never inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Paul Hornung, a Notre Dame star, was later called the best player Vince Lombardi coached, according to Lombardi himself. Jim Crowley and Red Hearden, both East High stars in Green Bay, were recruited to Notre Dame and later appeared briefly for the Packers. Hearden’s coaching career reached a turning point when a stroke prevented him from taking over as head coach in 1959.

Future Game Highlights

The Notre Dame‑Wisconsin matchup is set for Sunday, Sep 6, 2026, at Lambeau Field, a neutral‑site contest broadcast by NBC before the NFL season begins. This will be the second major college game at the stadium since the 2016 Wisconsin‑LSU clash and only the fifth college game overall. St. Norbert College’s three victories, the last coming in 1983, remain the most recent college wins at the venue. The game falls within the Sept 2‑7 exhibit window, giving fans a chance to see related artifacts from both programs.

Why It Matters

By linking Lambeau’s brief college experience with the rich football traditions of Wisconsin and Notre Dame, the exhibit underscores how a few shared pathways can shape a franchise’s identity. Packers fans gain a clearer picture of the early 20th‑century talent pipeline that fed the team’s success. The display also reminds newer supporters that the Packers’ history is intertwined with major college programs beyond Green Bay’s borders. Ultimately, the show serves as a bridge between college football’s past and the Packers’ ongoing legacy.