No. 2 Notre Dame at No. 8 BYU: What to Know About the First Top-10 Matchup Ever Played in Provo

No. 8 BYU hosts No. 2 Notre Dame at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. MT on ABC. Both teams are unbeaten: BYU is 5-0 and Notre Dame 6-0. BYU's athletics department says it will be the first matchup between two top-10 teams ever played in Provo, and ESPN's College GameDay will broadcast live from campus that morning for only the second time.

The rankings come from the October 11 Associated Press poll, which moved Notre Dame up from No. 3 to No. 2 behind Georgia and kept BYU at No. 8. BYU noted that at No. 3 the Irish were already the highest-ranked opponent to visit LaVell Edwards Stadium since No. 1 USC in 2004.

What time is BYU vs. Notre Dame, and what channel?

Kickoff is 5:30 p.m. MT (7:30 p.m. ET) on ABC, BYU announced. The Deseret News described that slot as ABC's premier college football window. On radio, BYU lists the game on BYU Radio (SiriusXM 166, BYURadio.org and the BYU Radio app) and KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM, with Greg Wrubell on play-by-play.

The game sold out weeks ago, KUTV reported, with resale tickets listed for several hundred dollars.

Is College GameDay coming to BYU?

Yes. ESPN announced that College GameDay will originate its three-hour show from BYU's campus from 7 to 10 a.m. MT on Saturday, with the exact location to be announced. It is the show's second visit to BYU; the first came on October 24, 2009. Rece Davis hosts with Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban, and the show airs on ESPN, ESPNU, the ESPN App and Disney+.

What is the BYU-Notre Dame series record?

Notre Dame leads 7-2 in nine meetings, according to BYU. The Irish won the most recent game 28-20 in the 2022 Shamrock Series at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Notre Dame has played in Provo three times, and the last visit went BYU's way: a 20-17 win in the 2004 season opener.

KSL reported that the series dates to 1992.

How this game ended up in Provo

BYU and Notre Dame announced the two-game, home-and-home series late in 2025, before BYU's bowl game, with the Irish coming to Provo in 2026 and BYU returning to South Bend in 2027. The game filled a hole: Cal had been removed from BYU's 2026 schedule when the ACC moved the Golden Bears to nine conference games, KSL reported, and the series puts Notre Dame's long rivalry with USC on hold for two years.

"As private, faith-based institutions, BYU and Notre Dame share many common values, and this series provides an exceptional opportunity to showcase two world-class universities," BYU athletic director Brian Santiago said in the announcement. "It's a matchup that will resonate strongly with Cougar fans and college football fans everywhere."

There is history from last season, too. Both teams finished as the first two left out of the 2025 College Football Playoff, KSL reported, with the selection committee chair citing BYU's loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game when Miami moved past Notre Dame.

How BYU got to 5-0

BYU opened with a 63-7 win over Utah Tech on September 5 and a 28-17 Big 12 opener against Arizona on September 12, both at home. It won 41-23 at Colorado State on September 19, when LJ Martin ran for 176 yards, then won 17-10 at TCU on October 3. Safety Faletau Satuala was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after a 59-yard interception return in Fort Worth.

On October 9, BYU beat Iowa State 24-10 on homecoming, its release said, making the Cougars 5-0 in three straight seasons for the first time in program history. Sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier, from Murrieta, California, completed 22 of 30 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 109 yards on nine carries. BYU said he became one of just four Big 12 quarterbacks to pass for 325 or more yards and run for 100 or more without being sacked, joining Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray and Sam Ehlinger. He was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, a Davey O'Brien Great 8 selection and a Manning Award Star of the Week.

Through five games, Bachmeier has completed 77 of 116 passes for 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns and run for 239 yards and four more scores, according to BYU. Freshman Legend Glasker caught five passes for 99 yards and a touchdown against Iowa State, including a career-long 75-yard reception.

The defense was the other headline. BYU held Iowa State to 200 yards, its fewest since 2018, and 49 in the first half. Iowa State came in averaging 197.4 rushing yards a game and finished with 94. The Big 12 named BYU's defensive line its Defensive Line of the Week.

"I know there were some mistakes in all three phases, but really proud of how the team played and with how the defense played, especially," head coach Kalani Sitake said after the game.

How Notre Dame got to 6-0

Notre Dame beat Stanford 58-7 on October 10, BYU noted in its GameDay release, and is 6-0. The two programs are among the nation's winningest over the past three seasons: BYU is 28-4 since 2024 and Notre Dame 30-4, according to BYU.

What comes next

After Notre Dame, BYU plays at UCF on October 24 and hosts Arizona State on October 31 before the November 7 rivalry game at Utah. Its schedule and results are on our BYU football team page, and the BYU school page has the rest of the Cougars' fall teams. For every Utah game on a given day, see Utah sports today.

Key facts:

• Game: No. 2 Notre Dame (6-0) at No. 8 BYU (5-0), Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026
• Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. MT / 7:30 p.m. ET, LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo; TV: ABC
• Radio: KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM / 1160 AM; BYU Radio (SiriusXM 166)
• College GameDay: On BYU's campus, 7-10 a.m. MT; second visit after Oct. 24, 2009
• History: First top-10 vs. top-10 game in Provo, per BYU
• Series: Notre Dame leads 7-2; Irish won 28-20 in Las Vegas in 2022; BYU won 20-17 in Provo in 2004
• Bear Bachmeier vs. Iowa State: 22 of 30, 329 yards, 2 TD; 9 carries, 109 yards
• Return game: BYU at Notre Dame, 2027