Notre Dame Sets Date with BYU in Provo for Pivotal 2026 Clash
Circle October 17 on the calendar - Notre Dame is heading to Provo to face BYU in a matchup that could carry serious playoff weight. This game marks the start of a home-and-home series between two programs that ended the 2025 season feeling like they had more to prove.
The Irish announced the matchup shortly after wrapping up their historic rivalry game against USC, which will not be part of this season’s schedule. Instead, Notre Dame gets a different kind of test in BYU - a rising program with postseason ambitions of its own.
This will be the 10th all-time meeting between Notre Dame and BYU, with the Irish currently holding a 7-2 edge. But don’t let that record fool you - BYU has had its moments in this series.
They walked out of South Bend with a win back in 1994 and defended their home turf in 2004. Since then, though, it’s been all Irish, with Notre Dame winning the last four, including a 28-20 victory in Las Vegas in 2022 as part of the Shamrock Series.
That 2022 game was a hard-fought battle, and if recent history is any indication, we should expect another close one. Two of the last three Irish wins in the series came by single digits, including a gritty 17-14 win back in 2012.
This upcoming showdown comes after both teams were in the thick of the playoff conversation late into last season. Notre Dame closed the year with 10 straight wins - all by double digits - after an 0-2 start.
It was the first time the Irish had pulled off a streak like that since 1966. Still, despite a dominant 49-20 win over Stanford on the road, they slipped a spot in the penultimate playoff rankings, falling behind Alabama.
Meanwhile, BYU also had a strong case for postseason inclusion. The Cougars racked up six wins over ranked opponents and their only loss came against No. 4 seed Texas Tech. Yet, they too were left out when the final rankings dropped.
Both teams watched from the sidelines as Miami punched its ticket to the national title game, while Alabama - the team that leapfrogged Notre Dame - was blown out by Indiana, 38-3, in the Rose Bowl.
That’s the backdrop for this October matchup - two programs with playoff aspirations and something to prove. BYU, led by Kalani Sitake since 2016, has quietly built a consistent winner.
Sitake holds an 84-45 career record and has gone 23-4 over the past two seasons. His team has been on the playoff bubble in back-to-back Novembers, and they’ll be looking to take the next step in 2026.
On the other sideline, Marcus Freeman has turned Notre Dame into a machine. Since taking over in 2022, he’s posted a 43-11 record, including a 24-4 mark over the last two years. Under Freeman, the Irish aren’t just winning - they’re doing it with authority.
The trip to Provo won’t be an easy one. LaVell Edwards Stadium is one of the more underrated environments in college football, and BYU’s physical, disciplined style has given opponents fits. But for Notre Dame, this is exactly the kind of game they need on the schedule - a true road test against a playoff-caliber team.
The return leg of this home-and-home is set for 2027 in South Bend, but the hope is that this series extends beyond those two games. With USC off the schedule (at least for now), adding BYU helps Notre Dame maintain a high level of competition - and strengthens their playoff resume in a sport where every game counts.
Here’s how the rest of Notre Dame’s 2026 schedule currently shapes up:
- Sep. 6 - vs. Wisconsin (Lambeau Field - Green Bay, Wis.)
- Sep. 12 - Rice
- Sep. 19 - 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** - Miami
- **Nov.
21** - Boston College
- TBA - SMU
- TBA - at Syracuse
October 17 is shaping up to be one of the most important dates on the Irish calendar - a potential turning point in a season that could end in the playoff picture. One thing’s for sure: Notre Dame vs.
BYU isn’t just a scheduling note. It’s a statement game.