Notre Dame vs. BYU Set for October 17 in Provo - A Clash With Playoff Stakes
Circle October 17 on your calendar - Notre Dame is heading to Provo to face BYU in a matchup that carries real playoff weight. The game marks the first leg of a home-and-home series between two programs that have been knocking on the College Football Playoff door in recent years. The return leg is scheduled for 2027 in South Bend, but the fireworks start this fall in Utah.
This isn’t just another non-conference game. It’s a meeting between two programs with postseason aspirations and a bit of recent history.
Notre Dame leads the all-time series 7-2, but BYU has had its moments - including a win in South Bend back in 1994 and another at home in 2004. Since then, though, the Irish have taken control, winning four straight, including a 28-20 victory in Las Vegas in 2022 as part of the Shamrock Series.
That game was closer than the score suggests, and two of the last three Irish wins in the series have come by single digits, including a gritty 17-14 win in 2012.
This matchup nearly happened a few weeks ago in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, but Notre Dame chose not to participate in the postseason. Now, both teams will get their shot at each other with even more on the line - a potential playoff berth.
Let’s talk about why this game matters.
Both Notre Dame and BYU felt they had strong cases for playoff inclusion this past season. The Irish finished the year on a 10-game winning streak after an 0-2 start, and they didn’t just win - they dominated.
Every victory came by double digits, something that hadn’t happened in South Bend since 1966. Despite a convincing 49-20 road win over Stanford to close the regular season, Notre Dame still dropped a spot behind Alabama in the penultimate rankings.
BYU, meanwhile, put together an impressive résumé of their own. The Cougars notched six wins over Top 25 teams and only fell to No. 4 seed Texas Tech. Still, they were left on the outside looking in when the final playoff bracket was revealed.
That shared frustration adds an edge to this upcoming meeting. These are two teams that believe they belong in the national conversation - and they’re ready to prove it on the field.
On the sidelines, you’ve got two head coaches who have elevated their programs in a big way. Kalani Sitake has been at the helm in Provo since 2016 and has built a consistent winner. His Cougars have gone 23-4 over the last two seasons, and they were in the playoff mix deep into November.
Marcus Freeman, entering his fifth season at Notre Dame, has compiled a 43-11 record since taking over in 2022. Over the last two years, he’s guided the Irish to a 24-4 mark and has them playing some of the most dominant football the program has seen in decades.
The matchup in Provo could end up being one of the defining games of the 2026 season. It’s a potential playoff eliminator, a measuring stick, and a showcase for two teams loaded with talent and ambition.
And while Notre Dame’s traditional rivalry with USC has wrapped up for now, replacing the Trojans with BYU on the schedule isn’t a step down - it’s a strategic upgrade. BYU brings toughness, pedigree, and a recent track record of success that boosts the Irish’s strength of schedule in a big way.
Here’s how Notre Dame’s 2026 schedule currently stacks up:
- Sep. 6 - vs. Wisconsin (Lambeau Field - Green Bay, Wis.)
- Sep. 12 - vs. Rice
- Sep. 19 - vs. Michigan State
- Sep. 26 - at Purdue
- Oct. 3 - at North Carolina
- Oct. 17 - at BYU
- Oct. 31 - vs.
Navy (Gillette Stadium - Foxborough, Mass.)
- Nov. 7 - vs.
Miami
- Nov. 21 - vs.
Boston College
- TBA - vs.
SMU
- TBA - at Syracuse
With a schedule like that and a playoff system that’s more competitive than ever, every game matters - but some matter just a little more. October 17 in Provo is one of those games.