BYU, Notre Dame agree to home-and-home series beginning In 2026
Dec 22, 2025, 10:24 AM | Updated: 6:32 pm
BYU football lands a home-and-home with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
PROVO – BYU football has lined up its 12th game for the 2026 schedule, and it’s a marquee opponent.
The Cougars will welcome the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, October 17, during the 2026 season. BYU will return to South Bend in 2027.
Previously, BYU had the Cal Golden Bears scheduled to play in Provo in 2026, but the Golden Bears canceled the series after the ACC adopted a nine-game conference schedule.
BYU then worked to fill the gap in its 2026 schedule and secured the Fighting Irish after Notre Dame was unable to reach an extension agreement for the USC series.
All of Notre Dame’s September dates are lined up for the 2026 football schedule. The game is expected to be played in October.
Notre Dame leads the all-time series against BYU, 7-2, with BYU’s victories coming in South Bend in 1994 and in Provo in 2004.
The last meeting between the two programs was in 2022, at a Notre Dame home game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Earlier this month, Notre Dame opted out of the Bowl Season, reportedly scheduled to play BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. This is a much better outcome for BYU: an opportunity to host the Irish in Provo and another chance to play in South Bend. BYU hasn’t played in South Bend since 2013.
BYU football’s 2026 opponents
September 5 – Utah Tech
September 19 – at Colorado State
TBD – Notre Dame
Arizona
Arizona State
Baylor
Iowa State
Cincinnati
at Kansas
at TCU
at UCF
at Utah
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
