The 2026 schedule gives BYU plenty to think about, but three games stand out above the rest. Fall camp is only a few weeks away, the opener with Utah Tech comes in just over 50 days, and the Cougars are about to find out quickly how much room there is for error in a Big 12 slate that doesn’t offer many easy nights.
No matchup looks automatic. Still, a few dates jump off the page as the ones most likely to push BYU to the limit.
The toughest road trip on the list comes first at TCU on October 3. BYU already took care of business against the Horned Frogs last season, rolling to a 44-13 win in Provo and snapping a stretch in which TCU had won the previous five meetings dating back to 2008.
Bear Bachmeier was central to that performance, piling up 296 passing yards, 59 rushing yards, and two touchdowns in one of his best outings as a freshman. Now the Cougars have to go to Fort Worth, where revenge will be part of the atmosphere.
TCU also enters the year with some momentum. Even after losing quarterback Josh Hoover to the portal, the Horned Frogs are ranked No. 23 in the preseason Top 25 after going 9-4 and winning their final three games last season, a run that included a victory over ranked USC in the Alamo Bowl. For BYU, this looks like the kind of game where the crowd may be as hostile as anything outside Salt Lake City.
The next major challenge comes on November 7 at Utah, and that one needs no introduction. Rice-Eccles Stadium has earned its reputation, and BYU has won there only once in the last 20 years.
The Utes have made life difficult for the Cougars regardless of records or rankings, and that pressure only grows in Salt Lake. Utah also has plenty of motivation after hearing about BYU’s three-game winning streak in the Holy War.
By the time that matchup arrives, a lot could still be in play. Utah is ranked No. 18 entering the season, and both teams could still be chasing Big 12 Championship Game hopes when they meet.
It will also be the first Holy War with a Utah head coach not named Kyle Whittingham since 2004, with Morgan Scalley set to make his debut in the role. He’ll have veteran quarterback Devon Dampier back, and he’ll be facing a BYU defense that already has a strong reputation.
Paging BIG Noon Kickoff. This is going to be a dandy.
At the top of the list is the home date with Notre Dame on October 17. The announcement that the Fighting Irish were finally coming to Provo was a huge moment last year, especially after USC and Notre Dame couldn’t agree to extend their rivalry. It will be Notre Dame’s first visit to LaVell Edwards Stadium since 2004.
The matchup carries real weight because Notre Dame isn’t just a name brand; the Irish are ranked No. 4 in the preseason Top 25 and have national title ambitions. Blue-chip quarterback CJ Carr will draw plenty of attention, and if BYU and Notre Dame are both living up to expectations, this could be one of the biggest games on the college football calendar.
BYU has dropped four straight to the Irish, which only adds to the appeal of getting them in Provo for what could be a ranked showdown. Notre Dame, meanwhile, appears ready to make a statement after feeling left out of last year’s playoff.
In Other News...
BYU Suddenly Has A Freshman WR Fans Cant Ignore
With fall camp approaching, BYUs wide receiver room looks a lot different than it did not long ago, and that has created an opening for newcomers who can handle real responsibility fast. Freshman Jaron Pula is one of the names that keeps coming up. He arrived early as a highly rated recruit, and with key receivers gone, the Cougars are already treating him like a player who could matter sooner rather than later.
For BYU, the challenge is not just finding talent, but finding it in a hurry. Pula is expected to push for playing time right away, and the staff will need a handful of young receivers ready to absorb snaps as camp unfolds. His range of outcomes is still being sorted out, but the expectation around him is clear enough: he has a path to becoming a meaningful part of the rotation if he can translate his promise quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Sione Moa Could Quietly Change BYUs Backfield Ceiling
BYUs backfield is already drawing attention with fall camp set to open in early August, and Sione Moa is one of the more interesting names in the mix as the Cougars look ahead to the 2026 season. The sophomore running back flashed real potential as a freshman before last year was largely lost to injury, and his return to full participation in spring practice gave the staff a much better sense of what he can still become behind LJ Martin.
Moa is expected to be the primary backup at running back, which matters because BYUs ceiling at the position changes quickly if the Cougars can trust the depth chart behind Martin. If Moa stays healthy and keeps building on the promise he showed early in his career, he gives BYU something it badly needs in a long season: a second runner who can keep the offense from flattening out when the starter needs a breather. [Read more 🡒]
One BYU Big 12 Win Changed Everything For The Cougars
BYUs first run through the Big 12 has already produced a handful of wins that felt bigger than a single Saturday, the kind that change how a program is viewed by everyone else in the league. Jay Drews look back at the Cougars recent resume puts that into focus, with victories over ranked opponents like Kansas State, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Iowa State and Georgia Tech all helping build the case that BYU belongs in the conversation, not just on the schedule.
The debate now is less about whether the Cougars have arrived and more about which game did the most to make that clear. The 2024 Utah win stands out as the most obvious marker, while the Colorado bowl game and the 2025 road win at Iowa State each added their own weight to BYUs rise, giving the program different kinds of proof at different moments. What makes the discussion interesting is that the answer depends on what kind of legitimacy you value most, and BYU has given itself more than one candidate. [Read more 🡒]