Date Announced For BYU Football’s Home Game Against Notre Dame
Jan 21, 2026, 9:20 AM | Updated: 2:48 pm
PROVO, Utah – For the first time in 22 years, BYU football will host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
On Wednesday, as part of the Big 12’s schedule release, the official date for the matchup between BYU and Notre Dame was officially announced.
BYU football will host Notre Dame on October 17, 2026
BYU will host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on October 17. pic.twitter.com/vp9yGeVmAy
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) January 21, 2026
BYU will host Notre Dame on Saturday, October 17, in Provo.
The 2026 matchup is the first of a two-game series, with BYU traveling to South Bend in 2027.
It’s a matchup of the two highest-ranked teams left out of the College Football Playoff in 2025. Notre Dame finished No. 10 in the final AP Top 25 poll in 2025, while BYU was at No. 11.
BYU, Notre Dame have bright outlooks in 2026
There are high expectations for both teams in 2026. BYU and Notre Dame are both fixtures in many of the “Way-Too-Early” Top 25 polls put out by national media.
ESPN ranked Notre Dame at No. 3 in their Way-Too-Early poll for 2026, while also ranking BYU at No. 11.
BYU football finished the 2025 season at 12-2 overall and retained the core of that team with Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year running back LJ Martin returning, along with quarterback Bear Bachmeier, linebacker Isaiah Glasker, and others.
Both BYU and Notre Dame suffered two losses in 2025, and each team’s losses were against College Football Playoff teams. For BYU, it was a pair of setbacks against Texas Tech, while Notre Dame’s losses were against national runner-up Miami and Playoff participant Texas A&M.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
