Notre Dame’s Road Trip to BYU Gets Official Date

Notre Dame announced it would have a home-and-home series with BYU this past December, coinciding with the announcement that it wouldn't be playing traditional rival USC the next two seasons.

The 2026 date against BYU will be played in Provo, Utah while the return trip to South Bend will be played in 2027. Now we know when Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish will head to BYU as it was announced Wednesday that the game will take place on October 17.

It will be just the third trip to Provo all-time for Notre Dame. It won easily in its first trip in 1993, 45-20, but lost the season opener in 2004, 20-17.

Schedule update 📆☘️

@ BYU
📍 Provo, Utah
📅 Saturday, Oct. 17#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/b6CPcchikX
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 21, 2026

Kickoff time for the game has not yet been announced. For whatever its worth, the only game the Big Ten has officially announced a date for next season also falls on October 17, and will be a battle of likely top-five opponents when Ohio State visits reigning national champion Indiana.

So, if you're hoping for College GameDay or Big Noon Kickoff to be in Provo, the chips are probably stacked against you there.

BYU is one of the more underrated places to have to play a road game as the Cougars are 31-6 in their home building since the start of the 2020 season.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway:

Listen, you can't replace almost 100 years of tradition in one off-season, but getting BYU to essentially fill the gap left by USC isn't bad for a last minute addition.

BYU has won 11 or more games the last two years and figures to be in the Big 12 race again in 2026. It has a head coach in Kalani Sitake that was chased by some of the biggest jobs that were open this cycle, and a home stadium that is a very difficult place to play.

BYU might not make it on the list of top venues we see each year (that is usually just loaded with Big Ten and SEC schools, mind you), but it offers about as picturesque of setting as you'll find in college football and in 2026, will feature what figures to be a top 15 team going into the year.

Oct 16, 2015; Provo, UT, USA; The sun sets over the mountains near Lavell Edwards Stadium where the Brigham Young Cougars play the Cincinnati Bearcats . | Jeff Swinger-Imagn Images

Notre Dame vs. BYU All-Time Results:

Notre Dame leads the all-time series with BYU, 7-2.

1992: Notre Dame 42, BYU 16 (South Bend)
1993: Notre Dame 45, BYU 20 (Provo)
1994: BYU 21, Notre Dame 14 (South Bend)
2003: Notre Dame 33, BYU 14 (South Bend)
2004: BYU 20, Notre Dame 17 (Provo)
2005: Notre Dame 49, BYU 23 (South Bend)
2012: Notre Dame 17, BYU 14 (South Bend)
2013: Notre Dame 23, BYU 13 (South Bend)
2022: Notre Dame 28, BYU 20 (Las Vegas)