ACC played pivotal role in making BYU-Notre Dame game happen
May 28, 2026, 11:23 PM | Updated: May 29, 2026, 9:40 am
BYU football will host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Provo on October 17, 2026. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
FRISCO, Texas – One of the biggest games on the BYU football schedule in 2026 is a home date against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
It pairs the first two teams left out of the College Football Playoff a season ago, for the first time at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo since 2004.
BYU athletics director Brian Santiago told KSL Sports at the Big 12 Spring Meetings that he thinks “it will be one of the most viewed football games this entire football season coming up.”
If both teams live up to the lofty preseason hype they are receiving, they both could be undefeated when they clash on Saturday, October 17.
It has the potential to be a big game.
BYU football welcomes Notre Dame to Provo for the first time since 2004
BYU and Notre Dame meeting this fall is the first of a two-game series between the two programs.
Notre Dame travels to Provo this year, while BYU returns to South Bend in 2027.
The Irish lead the all-time series against BYU, 7-2. BYU’s last win in the series was in 2004.
What feels like ancient history these days was a time when BYU and Notre Dame agreed to a six-game series as the Cougars transitioned from the Mountain West to Independence in 2010.
That six-game series ended up being a three-game series because Notre Dame lined up a scheduling agreement with the ACC. The agreement with the ACC required the Irish to play five games against ACC opponents every year.
Fast forward to this year: instead of being a hurdle to overcome in scheduling Notre Dame, the ACC was key in helping BYU and the Irish line up the 2026 game.
Big 12 football chief highlights ACC’s role in BYU-Notre Dame series
Big 12 Chief Football & Competition Officer Scott Draper spoke to KSL Sports about the Big 12’s role in helping BYU add Notre Dame in mid-October, a time typically reserved for conference play.
“Credit to Brian Santiago for being willing and open to playing it,” Draper said to KSL Sports. “When he called me about the opportunity, it was an easy decision for us to help him, because it’s a great opportunity for BYU and the Big 12.”
Draper added, “I would tell you that the ACC was a big partner, … they accommodated some moves to help us put that game in October.”
Initially, BYU was scheduled to play ACC member Cal in Provo, but the Bears canceled the game without a financial penalty due to the increase in conference games from 8 to 9.
That had BYU’s first-year AD, along with head coach Kalani Sitake, pursuing a high-profile game last fall.
Santiago pointed out that he was “grateful” to the Big 12 and the ACC for their help in bringing the series together. Due to the “super complicated” nature of sorting through scheduling matrixes in college sports.
In an era of college athletics where the headlines would seem to indicate there isn’t much that conferences agree on these days. The Big 12 appreciated the ACC moving some of its members’ games against the Irish to allow for Notre Dame to play in a Big 12 venue.
“It just goes back to the collaboration that (Big 12 Commissioner) Brett (Yormark) has with (ACC Commissioner) Jim Phillips, and we have amongst power four football administrators that we all collectively want the game to succeed, and we all do the best we can to help each other.
“We’re competitive as heck, for sure, but we definitely all want to work together when we can, and that was a great opportunity for us to showcase the relationship that we have with the ACC.”
BYU vs. Notre Dame in multiple sports?
Santiago hopes that the series with Notre Dame becomes something more than two games.
“Super grateful to Pete Bevacqua, the AD at Notre Dame. We’ve had some really good conversations about the bigger missions of our schools and why it’s so important for us to compete against each other and play,” Santiago said.
“We’ve both said this is the start of something great, moving into the future in multiple sports. That’s what gets me excited. Hopefully, this isn’t a one-series deal. We’re hoping that down the road, this continues to be a great tradition that we can continue to play Notre Dame in multiple sports.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL 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.
