The BYU-Utah rivalry is headed to ABC, and the early kickoff is set.
The November 7 meeting at Rice-Eccles Stadium will start at 10 a.m. (MST), and the game is expected to be the first top-10 matchup in the history of the series.
ESPN executives had to choose between BYU-Utah and Texas-Missouri for the ABC window, and they went with the in-state showdown. Texas-Missouri will air on ESPN.
Both teams are rolling into the game with strong resumes. BYU beat Arizona State in Provo on Saturday, 27-20, to move to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 play. Utah handled Cincinnati on the road, winning 49-25 to improve to 8-0, the Utes’ first 8-0 start since 2010.
This one also breaks from recent rivalry timing. The last time these two met in a kickoff window outside of the evening was in the 2015 Las Vegas Bowl. Before that, the last regular-season, non-night kickoff between BYU and Utah came in 2010, when both schools were still in the Mountain West Conference.
BYU has won the last three meetings, and the Cougars last put together a four-game streak in the series in 1992. Before BYU’s current run, which dates back to 2021, Utah had won nine straight.
The all-time series numbers depend on which school’s record book you check. BYU lists Utah ahead 59-34-4, with the rivalry dating to 1922. Utah’s records show a 62-37-4 edge, with the series going back to 1896.
Here’s how the two teams arrived at the showdown:
BYU football schedule September 5 - Utah Tech | Win, 63-7
September 12 - Arizona* | Win, 28-17
September 19 - at Colorado State | Win, 41-23
October 3 - at TCU* | Win, 17-10
October 9 - Iowa State* | Win, 24-10
October 17 - Notre Dame | Win, 28-24
October 24 - at UCF* | Loss, 39-31 (2OT)
October 31 - Arizona State* | Win, 27-20
November 7 - at Utah* | 10 a.m., ABC & KSL NewsRadio
November 14 - Baylor*
November 21 - at Kansas*
November 28 - Cincinnati*
Utah football schedule September 3 - Idaho | Win
September 12 - Arkansas | Win, 43-10
September 19 - Utah State | Win, 33-0
September 26 - at Iowa State* | Win, 31-17
October 10 - Kansas* | Win, 41-24
October 17 - at Colorado* | Win, 27-24
October 24 - Houston* | Win, 21-13
October 31 - at Cincinnati* | Win, 49-25
November 7 - BYU* | 10 a.m., ABC
November 14 - at Arizona*
November 21 - at TCU*
November 27 - West Virginia*
In Other News...
Utah Heads Into A Massive Holy War With Everything To Lose
No. 6 Utah is heading into the Holy War with plenty of momentum and plenty at stake, fresh off another convincing win that showed why this team has climbed so high in the rankings. The Utes have leaned on a physical, balanced offense and a defense that has made life miserable for opponents, while their recent success has only sharpened the stakes for a rivalry game that already carries its own weight.
BYU arrives with a rsum that includes notable wins, but the Cougars have also had stretches of uneven play that have kept them from looking fully settled. Utah, meanwhile, knows this is the kind of matchup where style points disappear fast and every mistake gets magnified, which is exactly what makes Saturday such a dangerous spot for both teams and such a pivotal one for the Utes. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Just Gave The BYU Rivalry Even Bigger Stakes
BYUs narrow win over Arizona State and Utahs decisive victory over Cincinnati turned Saturday into a statement day for both sides of the Holy War. The Cougars climbed to No. 7 in the AP Top 25, while the Utes kept rolling and moved up the poll after extending their unbeaten start, giving this rivalry a little more national shine than usual.
The bigger picture now is hard to miss: both programs are sitting near the top of the sport, and the next meeting between them suddenly carries more than bragging rights. Utah has been rewarded for its fast start, while the rest of the rankings kept shifting around them as Texas Tech, Houston and Arizona moved up and Oklahoma State fell out after its loss. For a rivalry that already has plenty of edge, the stakes just got a lot higher. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Is Losing Ground In A Debate That Could Get Worse
The latest AP Top 25 ballot has given the Utes a notable boost after their road win over Cincinnati, a result that has them sitting near the top tier of the national conversation. In a season where the best teams are still sorting themselves out week by week, Utahs climb stands out because it is tied to actual performance, not reputation, and it comes at a time when the rankings feel especially fluid.
What happens next will say plenty about whether this rise is sustainable or just a temporary bump in a messy race for the top. Utahs upcoming game is the kind of measuring stick that can either validate the movement up the ballot or expose how fragile it really is, and for a team trying to stay in the thick of the playoff discussion, the margin for error is getting smaller. [Read more 🡒]