Every BYU Football Game Ever Played On ESPN
Jun 21, 2021, 3:14 PM | Updated: Apr 21, 2022, 2:17 am
With ESPN broadcasting the game live, BYU fans made their case for their team that sits outside the Power 5 conferences as an independent school. (Tim Johnson, Deseret News)
(Tim Johnson, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – BYU football and ESPN have a long-standing relationship that spans decades. Without ESPN, BYU would never have been able to declare its football independence ten years ago.
ESPN is currently the television partner for all of BYU’s home football games. The current contract runs through the 2026 season.
@BYU and @espn announced a new seven-year media rights deal for @BYUfootball home games through the 2026 season.@kslsports https://t.co/Uf7UH7AsHh
— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) January 30, 2020
BYU has been playing games on ESPN dating back to 1981. The Cougars were part of the first-ever live ESPN college football broadcast in 1984 when BYU took down No. 3 Pitt.
Since 1981, BYU has played 101 games on ESPN. That number doesn’t include games on ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ABC, or ESPNU. Just ESPN. BYU has appeared on ESPN 106 times, posting a record of 62-42-2 in those games.
Every BYU Football game played on ESPN
Here’s the full list of games BYU has played on ESPN.
1981*
at Long Beach State, Win, 31-8
Utah State, Win, 32-26
1983*
at UCLA, Win, 37-35
From 1980-1983, ESPN had rights to college football games, but they were tape-delayed. None of the broadcasts were live. So BYU’s historic win at the Rose Bowl, when they simply loved L.A. by taking down Terry Donahue’s UCLA Bruins, was not seen live.
1984
at Pitt, Win, 20-14 (First live college football game on ESPN)
at New Mexico, Win, 48-0
On this day 36 years ago, @BYUfootball opened the 1984 season with an upset win at Pittsburgh 20-14. It was the first live college football game broadcast on ESPN. #KSLSportsArchive #BYU pic.twitter.com/AO75gJFvsG
— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) September 1, 2020
1985
UCLA, Loss, 24-27
at Hawaii, Win, 26-6
1986
at San Diego State, Loss, 3-10
1987
Pitt, Loss, 17-27
Air Force, Win, 24-13
1988
at Wyoming, Loss, 14-24
Texas, Win, 47-6
at Hawaii, Win, 24-23
at Miami, Loss, 17-41
1989
Washington State, Loss, 41-46
Penn State (Holiday Bowl), Loss, 39-50
1990
Miami, Win, 28-21
at Wyoming, Win, 45-14
Texas A&M (Holiday Bowl), Loss, 14-65
#OnThisDay 30 years ago: @BYUfootball took down the No. 1 ranked @MiamiHurricanes.
The win catapulted @TyDetmer14 to stardom and Heisman glory.#BYU | #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/GwZdBSlQ4f
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 9, 2020
1991
at Colorado State, Win, 40-17
at San Diego State, Tie, 52-52
Iowa (Holiday Bowl), Tie, 13-13
1992
San Diego State, Loss, 38-45
1993
Notre Dame, Loss, 20-45
at San Diego State, Win, 45-44
Ohio State (Holiday Bowl), Loss, 21-28
1994
at Air Force, Win, 45-21
San Diego State, Win, 35-28
Oklahoma (Copper Bowl), Win, 31-6
1995
at Air Force, Loss, 12-38
San Diego State, Win, 31-9
at Colorado State, Win, 28-21
1996
at Utah, Win, 37-17
1998
at Alabama, Loss, 31-38
San Diego State, Win, 13-0
Air Force (WAC Championship), Loss, 13-20
Tulane (Liberty Bowl), Loss, 27-41
1999
Washington, Win, 35-28 (First game as a member of the Mountain West Conference)
Colorado State, Win, 34-13
Virginia, Loss, 40-45
Air Force, Win, 27-20
Utah, Loss, 17-20
Marshall (Motor City Bowl), Loss, 3-21
2000
Mississippi State, Loss, 28-44
Wyoming, Win, 19-7
at Colorado State, Loss, 21-45
at Utah, Win, 34-27
2001
Colorado State, Win, 56-34
Louisville (Liberty Bowl), Loss, 10-28
2002
Syracuse, Win, 42-21
at Colorado State, Loss, 10-37
2003
Boise State, Loss, 12-50
2004
Notre Dame, Win, 20-17 (First BYU game televised in High Definition)
USC, Loss, 10-42
at Boise State, Loss, 27-28
2005
California (Las Vegas Bowl), Loss, 28-35
2006
Oregon (Las Vegas Bowl), Win, 38-8
2007
UCLA (Las Vegas Bowl), Win, 17-16
2008
Arizona (Las Vegas Bowl), Loss, 21-31
2009
Oklahoma*, Win, 14-13
Oregon State (Las Vegas Bowl), Win, 44-20
2010
at Utah State, Loss, 16-31
UTEP (New Mexico Bowl), Win, 52-24
2011
at Ole Miss, Win, 14-13 (First game as an FBS Independent)
UCF, Win, 24-17
Utah State, Win, 27-24
TCU*, Loss, 28-38
Tulsa (Armed Forces Bowl), Win, 24-21
2012
Washington State, Win, 30-6
at Boise State, Loss, 6-7
Hawaii, Win, 47-0
Utah State, Win, 6-3
San Diego State (Poinsettia Bowl), Win, 23-6
2013
Boise State, Win, 37-20
at Wisconsin, Loss, 17-27
Washington (Fight Hunger Bowl), Loss, 16-31
2014
at UConn, Win, 35-10
Houston, Win, 33-25
Virginia, Win, 41-33
Utah State, Loss, 20-35
at UCF, Loss, 24-31 (OT)
at Boise State, Loss, 30-55
Memphis (Miami Beach Bowl), Loss, 48-55 (2OT)
2015
Cincinnati, Win, 38-24
2016
Mississippi State, Win, 28-21 (2OT)
at Boise State, Loss, 27-28
Wyoming (Poinsettia Bowl), Win, 24-21
2017
Portland State, Win, 20-6
LSU*, Loss, 0-27
Boise State, Loss, 7-24
2018
at Arizona, Win, 28-23
Western Michigan (Potato Bowl), Win, 49-18
September 1, 2018
–
.@tannermangum escapes the pressure and finds @23Collie who makes an AMAZING catch to set up a BYU touchdown. The Cougars would go on to beat Arizona 28-23.
–#gocougs #byu #byufootball #byufootballthrowbacks pic.twitter.com/tAcG7Ub0O1— BYU Football Throwbacks (@BYUThrowbacks) August 8, 2020
2019
Utah, Loss, 12-30
at Tennessee, Win, 29-26 (OT)
at Hawaii (Hawaii Bowl), Loss, 34-38
2020
at Navy, Win, 55-3
Troy, Win, 48-7
at Houston, Win, 43-26
Texas State, Win, 52-14
Western Kentucky, Win, 41-10
UCF (Boca Raton Bowl), Win, 49-23
2021
Arizona (Las Vegas), Win, 24-16
Utah, Win, 26-17
Arizona State, Win, 27-17
at Baylor, Loss, 24-38
at USC, Win, 35-31
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
