PACKERS FANS, THE COUNTDOWN IS GETTING SHORTER — AND GREEN BAY’S 2026 REGULAR SEASON WILL BEGIN WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST RIVALRIES IN THE NFC NORTH!
The preseason is finished. The roster decisions are arriving. Training camp evaluations are almost complete.
Now the Green Bay Packers can begin turning their full attention toward the game that actually matters.
Green Bay will travel to Minnesota to face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, September 13, 2026, in a massive Week 1 Border Battle at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Most importantly, the kickoff time is officially set.
Packers vs. Vikings will kick off at 3:25 p.m. Central Time — 4:25 p.m. Eastern Time — and the game will be televised on CBS.
For Packers fans, there is no longer any confusion about when the new season begins.
Sunday, September 13. 3:25 p.m. CT. Green Bay at Minnesota.
The wait is almost over.
PACKERS VS. VIKINGS — OFFICIAL WEEK 1 GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Competition: 2026 NFL Regular Season — Week 1
Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026
Kickoff: 3:25 p.m. CT
Eastern Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Mountain Time: 2:25 p.m. MT
Pacific Time: 1:25 p.m. PT
Venue: U.S. Bank Stadium
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV: CBS
Streaming: NFL+ availability listed by Minnesota
Vikings Radio: KFAN / Vikings Audio Network
This is not simply another opening game.
This is Packers-Vikings.
Green Bay’s 2026 season will begin against one of its biggest rivals, inside one of the loudest indoor environments in the NFC, with an early divisional victory immediately available.
THE PRESEASON IS OVER — NOW EVERYTHING COUNTS
Green Bay finished its preseason with a wild 42-38 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, providing one final opportunity for younger players to make their case before roster decisions.
But preseason scores disappear quickly.
September 13 is different.
Every touchdown matters.
Every turnover matters.
Every penalty matters.
And every decision will have consequences in the standings.
The Packers now move from experimentation to preparation.
Instead of determining which players deserve additional opportunities, Green Bay must determine how to beat Minnesota.
GREEN BAY OPENS ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Packers won’t have the benefit of beginning the season at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay is scheduled to play its first two games on the road, beginning in Minnesota before traveling to face the New York Jets in Week 2.
That makes the opener especially important.
Starting 1-0 after beating a divisional rival on the road would immediately give Green Bay confidence heading into another away game.
Starting 0-1 would create significantly more pressure.
The Packers won’t play their first regular-season game at Lambeau until Week 3, when they host the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football.
So Green Bay must become comfortable away from home immediately.
A BORDER BATTLE TO OPEN THE SEASON
There are easier ways to begin an NFL season.
Green Bay isn’t getting one.
The Packers and Vikings have spent decades fighting for position in the NFC North, and familiarity makes these games difficult to predict.
Minnesota’s official historical breakdown lists the Vikings at 61-67-3 against Green Bay, including postseason meetings.
That history tells you everything about the rivalry.
There have been dominant stretches.
There have been heartbreaking finishes.
There have been unforgettable performances.
And now another chapter begins immediately in Week 1.
MINNESOTA WON THE LAST MEETING
Green Bay also has a recent result it would like to erase.
Minnesota defeated the Packers 16-3 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 18 of the 2025 season.
Now Green Bay returns to the same building for the first meaningful game of 2026.
That creates an obvious storyline.
The Packers don’t need extra motivation for a divisional opener, but returning to the stadium where Minnesota controlled their previous meeting certainly adds another layer.
Week 1 provides an immediate opportunity to change the narrative.
HOW TO WATCH PACKERS VS. VIKINGS
The Week 1 Border Battle is scheduled for CBS.
Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m. Central Time, which means Packers fans in Wisconsin should also be ready for the 3:25 p.m. CT start.
For fans elsewhere:
4:25 p.m. ET
3:25 p.m. CT
2:25 p.m. MT
1:25 p.m. PT
Minnesota’s official game listing also includes NFL+ as an option, although streaming access can depend on location, device and applicable NFL restrictions.
The best approach is to verify your local television and streaming availability before game day.
DON’T EXPECT WEATHER TO CONTROL THIS GAME
Weather is always a major discussion point during Packers football.
But this matchup is different.
The game will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium, an enclosed venue.
That means rain, wind or uncomfortable outdoor temperatures in Minneapolis should not have the kind of direct impact they would at Lambeau Field or another outdoor stadium.
There is no need to worry about a late-summer thunderstorm changing field conditions.
Inside the stadium, the biggest environmental challenge for Green Bay will be noise.
And there should be plenty of it.
U.S. BANK STADIUM COULD BECOME EXTREMELY LOUD
Minnesota fans will have been waiting months for this moment.
Their first regular-season game.
At home.
Against Green Bay.
That combination should produce one of the loudest environments of Week 1.
Communication will therefore become critical for the Packers offense.
Protection calls must be clear.
Receivers must know their assignments.
The offensive line cannot allow crowd noise to create unnecessary false starts.
Green Bay needs to stay composed when Minnesota’s crowd is at maximum volume.
One of the best ways to reduce that noise?
Score early.
JORDAN LOVE ENTERS ANOTHER IMPORTANT SEASON
Much of Green Bay’s offensive success will again depend on Jordan Love.
Week 1 immediately gives the Packers quarterback a difficult assignment.
Road environment.
Division rival.
Loud stadium.
Limited current-season film.
Those circumstances put a premium on decision-making.
Love doesn’t need to produce a spectacular play on every possession.
Green Bay needs efficiency.
Protect the football.
Take what the defense provides.
Avoid turning manageable situations into unnecessary risks.
If Love remains patient, the explosive opportunities should eventually arrive.
GREEN BAY’S RUNNING GAME COULD BE CRITICAL
A strong rushing attack would help Green Bay in several ways.
First, it would reduce pressure on Love.
Second, it could keep Minnesota’s pass rush from attacking aggressively on every snap.
Third, successful rushing plays can help control the clock and keep the Vikings offense waiting on the sideline.
Perhaps most importantly, running the football effectively can quiet an opposing stadium.
Green Bay would love to establish physical control early and force Minnesota to adjust.
THE PACKERS HAVE ADDED ANOTHER OFFENSIVE OPTION
Green Bay also made a notable late-August roster move by signing veteran tight end Jonnu Smith.
The Packers announced the move on August 29, adding another experienced option to Matt LaFleur’s offense shortly before the regular season begins.
How quickly Smith becomes integrated into the offense remains something to watch.
But his presence gives Green Bay another potential weapon as the coaching staff prepares its Week 1 game plan.
TURNOVERS COULD DECIDE THE BORDER BATTLE
Season openers aren’t always clean.
Teams are moving from preseason intensity into real NFL football.
That can produce mistakes.
Green Bay cannot afford to give Minnesota easy possessions.
A turnover deep in Packers territory could immediately energize the crowd.
A red-zone interception could erase a promising drive.
A special-teams mistake could completely change momentum.
Green Bay’s objective should be simple:
Make Minnesota earn everything.
If the Packers protect the football while creating one or two takeaways defensively, the entire complexion of the game could change.
THE NFC NORTH RACE BEGINS IMMEDIATELY
This is what makes the matchup particularly important.
Green Bay isn’t opening against an AFC opponent.
The Packers are opening against Minnesota.
That means Week 1 immediately affects the NFC North standings and potential divisional tiebreakers.
A Green Bay victory would mean:
1-0 overall.
1-0 in the NFC North.
A road victory.
A win over Minnesota.
That’s about as productive an opening Sunday as Packers fans could ask for.
THE SECOND MEETING IS ALREADY WAITING
These rivals won’t have to wait until the final weeks of the season to meet again.
Minnesota is scheduled to visit Lambeau Field in Week 10 on Sunday, November 15, with kickoff currently listed for 12:00 p.m. CT.
That gives the teams two meetings within the opening 10 weeks.
The first arrives immediately.
Green Bay has an opportunity to establish the early advantage before the rivalry shifts back to Wisconsin later in the year.
A SPECIAL OPENING DAY IN MINNESOTA
Minnesota is also turning the season opener into a major event.
The Vikings have announced a kickoff celebration outside U.S. Bank Stadium featuring country singer Cole Swindell, with festivities beginning hours before Packers-Vikings kicks off.
That should only increase the atmosphere surrounding the game.
For Green Bay, however, the mission doesn’t change.
The Packers are not traveling to Minneapolis to participate in Minnesota’s celebration.
They are going there to try to ruin it.
PACKERS FANS, MARK THE TIME
There should be no confusion about Green Bay’s Week 1 schedule.
Sunday, September 13, 2026.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings.
U.S. Bank Stadium.
Kickoff: 3:25 p.m. CT / 4:25 p.m. ET / 2:25 p.m. MT / 1:25 p.m. PT.
TV: CBS.
The schedule is officially set.
The preseason is finished.
The roster is taking shape.
And now the countdown to meaningful football begins.
Green Bay doesn’t get an easy opening assignment. Instead, the Packers will walk directly into U.S. Bank Stadium for a rivalry game carrying immediate NFC North consequences.
That’s exactly the kind of game capable of setting the tone for an entire season.
PACKERS FANS, GET READY. 💚💛🏈 THE WAIT IS ALMOST OVER — GREEN BAY’S 2026 SEASON OFFICIALLY BEGINS AGAINST MINNESOTA AT 3:25 P.M. CT ON SEPTEMBER 13.
