No. 10 BYU is putting itself in position for a massive October spotlight, and College GameDay could be headed to Provo if the Cougars and Notre Dame keep winning.
On the College GameDay podcast, Rece Davis said “there's a really good chance” the show will be on hand for the BYU-Notre Dame matchup, as long as both teams arrive unbeaten. Davis made clear he wasn’t breaking news, but he pointed to the weekend slate and said the Cougars and Fighting Irish could be the most compelling game on the board.
“I don't know where else you would have gone the first four weeks if you really looked at the storylines, and then we're at Iowa this week,” Davis said. “And, you know, who knows? I'm not trying to give away secrets because no decision has been made, but I think there's a really good chance we'll be at BYU.”
He added that the idea is still very much a possibility, not a decision.
“I'm not trying to give anything away. That may not happen...
I'm gonna get in trouble with PR and probably with management for even bringing that up. We haven't come close to making a decision on that yet.
I'm just looking at the schedule...it might be the best game of the weekend, you know, and both might still be undefeated...it certainly would be a contender.”
For BYU, the path starts with business at home before Notre Dame ever becomes the focus. The Cougars have TCU and Iowa State coming up, and while they’ll be favored in both, FPI gives them just a 59.6% chance to win both games. Notre Dame, meanwhile, has a 90% chance to beat North Carolina and Stanford and enter the BYU game unbeaten.
The last time GameDay showed up in Provo was in 2008, when BYU hosted TCU. The Horned Frogs left with a convincing win, and that remains the only time the show has been in Provo.
BYU has had more recent success with FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff, hosting the show twice over the last two years for games against Arizona in 2024 and Utah in 2025. The Cougars won both of those games.
If BYU and Notre Dame both keep their streaks alive, the October 17 showdown could become one of the biggest games ever played at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
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Paul Finebaum, though, argued that Sabans presence in that debate may not resonate the way it once did, saying the Hall of Fame coach is out of step with todays players. Finebaum pointed to Georgias Kirby Smart as a sharper fit for the modern college football moment, creating an awkward contrast for a figure whose opinions still carry enormous weight in the sport and especially across the SEC. [Read more 🡒]