Utah coach Morgan Scalley is planning to be tuned in Saturday night when No. 2 Notre Dame visits No. 8 BYU, and he’s not shy about why.
Speaking on Sirius XM’s College Sports Radio, Scalley said he wants to see the Big 12 shine in one of the weekend’s biggest games. Utah joined the league in 2024, and Scalley made it clear he sees the conference’s success as a benefit for everyone in it.
"The better the Big 12 is, the better it is for us." @Utah_Football HC Morgan Scalley explains to @NicoleAuerbach & @EJManuel3 why he’s locked into everything in the @Big12Conference including rival BYU’s big showdown with Notre Dame. #GoUtes | @RSNBUtes https://t.co/7yjOUVaPsN
- College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) October 15, 2026
BYU’s matchup with Notre Dame carries plenty of weight on its own. Marcus Freeman’s team is 6-0 and heads into Provo, Utah, on Saturday night for a road test at 4,549 feet. It’s also the kind of game that can shape how the Big 12 is viewed nationally, especially with the Cougars trying to take a major step forward against the No. 2 team in the country.
A win for BYU would be significant for the Cougars’ own path, though Notre Dame’s resume would feel the hit more sharply. The Irish have not yet picked up a ranked win this season, while BYU also enters without one. Notre Dame still has two major home games left against Miami (FL) and SMU, both ranked.
The line also reflects the challenge in front of BYU, with Notre Dame favored by 10.5 points.
There’s another layer here for Utah, too. A BYU win would only raise the profile of the Holy War, especially with the rivalry game set for Nov. 7 in Salt Lake.
Utah, coming off a 44-21 home win over Kansas, heads to Colorado this week before a stretch that includes No. 20 Houston at home and Cincinnati on the road.
If BYU and Utah are both sitting on one loss when they meet, the stakes in that game only grow.
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BYU Finally Gets The Notre Dame Showdown Provo Waited Years For
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The road here has been anything but smooth. Notre Dame had previously backed out of a home game in Provo, and the two programs later had to sort through a neutral-site arrangement in Las Vegas for 2022 before this series came together. This time, Notre Dame reached out to BYU about a two-game set, with the Irish looking to strengthen a playoff resume after USC backed out of its rivalry game, and now the Cougars get a nationally relevant opponent on a stage their program has spent years trying to secure. [Read more 🡒]