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Utah football scheduled for Black Friday home game in 2026

Utes' regular season finale has been moved into a prime-time viewing window
Cole Forsman|
The Utah Utes play a 12-game regular season schedule for the 2026 campaign.
The Utah Utes play a 12-game regular season schedule for the 2026 campaign. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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The Utah football team's 2026 schedule came into greater focus Friday as the Big 12 announced its weekday game selections for September, October and November.

Alongside its television partners ESPN and Fox, the Big 12 revealed eight Friday games and a Thanksgiving matchup for Nov. 26 between TCU and Texas Tech.

The day after the Horned Frogs meet the Red Raiders in Lubbock, the Utes will take center stage for a Black Friday contest against West Virginia from Rice-Eccles Stadium.

TV and kickoff details haven't been released yet, though it's clear the Big 12 has given Utah another opportunity to play on the national stage once again after granting the Utes Black Friday games in 2024 and 2025. The upcoming bout with the Mountaineers will be Utah's first Black Friday game at home since joining the league.

What it means for the Utes

As always, any schedule update or adjustment provides clarity. For Utah, Friday's announcement ensures it'll be playing its regular season finale on a short week, given the Utes have to travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to face TCU the Saturday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 21).

Suiting up for two games in a six-day span didn't seem to hinder the Utes in their previous two Black Friday games. In 2024, they traveled down to Orlando and beat UCF, 31-28, on limited rest. This past season, they went from beating Kansas State in an emotional roller coaster of a victory the Saturday prior, to handling business on the road at Kansas in a 31-21 victory over the Jayhawks to finish the regular season with a 10-2 record.

Even so, staying fresh and healthy are two things coaches heavily prioritize late in the season. Utah was relatively OK in those departments going into the Kansas game, though Morgan Scalley and company can't count on that being the case for the 2026 Black Friday game. Utah is set to play seven straight games prior to its meeting with West Virginia.

Other Big 12 weekday games

The Big 12 announced seven other Friday games between Sept. 18 and Nov. 20, plus a Sept. 11 matchup between regional rivals Kansas and Missouri from Lawrence.

Interestingly, four teams will play multiple weekday games in conference play: Houston (at Texas Tech on Sept. 18, at Colorado on Nov. 13), Iowa State (at BYU on Oct. 9, at UCF on Nov. 20), TCU (at Arizona on Nov. 6, at Texas Tech on Nov. 26) and Texas Tech.

One game that's received a lot of attention lately is the Sept. 18 matchup between the Cougars and Red Raiders. Cody Campbell, chairman of Texas Tech's board of regents, seemed to take issue with the game's placement on a Friday, which he said was "sacred" for high school football in a March 30 post to X.

In response, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that "Cody Campbell does not run the Big 12."

Big 12 football weekday selections

  • Friday, Sept. 11: Missouri at Kansas
  • Friday, Sept. 18: Houston at Texas Tech
  • Friday, Oct. 9: Iowa State at BYU
  • Friday, Oct. 30: Baylor at UCF
  • Friday, Nov. 6: TCU at Arizona
  • Friday, Nov. 13: Houston at Colorado
  • Friday, Nov. 20: Iowa State at UCF
  • Thursday, Nov. 26: TCU at Texas Tech
  • Friday, Nov. 27: West Virginia at Utah

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Cole Forsman
COLE FORSMAN

Cole Forsman has been a contributor with On SI for the past three years, covering college athletics. He holds a degree in Journalism and Sports Management from Gonzaga University.

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