Southern Utah Football
Southern Utah football was 1-4 and 0-2 in the Big Sky on September 26, 2026, after a 28-24 home loss to Idaho State, and plays at Utah Tech in the Battle for the Ax on October 3.
About Southern Utah Football
Southern Utah football plays at Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City under head coach DeLane Fitzgerald. It competes in NCAA Division I FCS and rejoined the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2026. It had left the league for the WAC in 2022.
The 2026 season so far
Southern Utah opened at No. 2 Montana on August 29 and lost 28-21, although its recap credited the Thunderbirds with 510 yards of offense, 259 of them on the ground, and more than 43 minutes of possession. A week later it opened Eccles Coliseum by beating Weber State 47-42 in the Beehive Bowl, which was scheduled as a non-conference game before Southern Utah rejoined the Big Sky (preview).
At FBS Colorado State on September 12, Southern Utah pulled within three points before losing 58-24 (story). At St. Thomas on September 19, Parker Vance returned his fourth interception of the season for a touchdown, and the Thunderbirds lost 28-26 after a late comeback bid. Idaho State won 28-24 in Cedar City on September 26, leaving Southern Utah 1-4 and 0-2 in the Big Sky on its schedule page.
Redshirt junior quarterback Will Burns ran for Southern Utah's first touchdown against Weber State and threw a late touchdown pass at St. Thomas, according to Southern Utah's recaps.
What comes next
Southern Utah plays at Utah Tech in the Battle for the Ax at Greater Zion Stadium on October 3 at 6 p.m. MT, then hosts UC Davis on October 17.
2026 season
1-4 and 0-2 in the Big Sky, as of Sept. 26. Next: at Utah Tech, Greater Zion Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 3, 6 p.m. MT.
- Conference
- Big Sky Conference
- Head Coach
- DeLane Fitzgerald
Checked Sep 26, 2026
At a glance
Official sources
This team page stays live because the school, image, and related stories all point back to official material.
Southern Utah Athletics
- Southern Utah 2026 football schedule and resultssuutbirds.com
- Southern Utah 2026 football roster and coaching staffsuutbirds.com
- Thunderbirds' comeback bid falls short at St. Thomas (Sept. 19, 2026)suutbirds.com
- Thunderbirds battle FBS foe, fall 58-24 in Fort Collins (Sept. 12, 2026)suutbirds.com
- Thunderbirds win wild Beehive Bowl battle over Weber State (Sept. 5, 2026)suutbirds.com
Show all 11 sourcesShow fewer sources
- Thunderbirds battle No. 2 Montana to the wire (Aug. 29, 2026)suutbirds.com
- Big Sky welcomes Southern Utah and Utah Tech (June 25, 2025)bigskyconf.com
- Eccles Coliseumsuutbirds.com
- Will Burns roster pagesuutbirds.com
- Quarterback Clash: Thunderbirds enter 2025 with depthsuutbirds.com
- Southern Utah opens 2025 with a 46-24 win over Idaho State (Aug 30, 2025)espn.com
Results and fixtures
Southern Utah Football results and fixtures
Times are Mountain. Last pulled from the official athletics feed October 8 at 10:37 AM MT.
Next up
- Sat Oct 176:00 p.m.Footballvs UC DavisEccles Coliseum, Cedar City, Utah
Recent results
- Sat Oct 3Footballat Utah Tech UniversityGreater Zion Stadium, St. George
- Sat Sep 26Footballvs Idaho State UniversityEccles Coliseum, Cedar City, Utah
Verified record
Southern Utah Football results and honors
Each line is dated and links the official release it comes from.
Latest results
- Sep 26, 2026Lost 28-24 at home to Idaho State to fall to 0-2 in the Big Sky. Source for: Lost 28-24 at home to Idaho State to fall to 0-2 in the Big Sky.
- Sep 19, 2026Lost 28-26 at St. Thomas after a late comeback bid. Parker Vance returned his fourth interception of the season for a touchdown. Source for: Lost 28-26 at St. Thomas after a late comeback bid. Parker Vance returned his fourth interception of the season for a touchdown.
- Sep 12, 2026Lost 58-24 at FBS Colorado State after pulling within three points. Source for: Lost 58-24 at FBS Colorado State after pulling within three points.
- Sep 5, 2026Beat Weber State 47-42 in the Beehive Bowl at Eccles Coliseum, a non-conference game. Source for: Beat Weber State 47-42 in the Beehive Bowl at Eccles Coliseum, a non-conference game.
- Aug 29, 2026Lost 28-21 at No. 2 Montana despite 510 yards of offense, as Southern Utah's recap stated it. Source for: Lost 28-21 at No. 2 Montana despite 510 yards of offense, as Southern Utah's recap stated it.
Watch and attend
Where to follow Southern Utah Football
Eccles Coliseum, Cedar City
Home games
It has seating for 8,500 and a maximum capacity of just over 10,000, according to Southern Utah's facilities page.
Quick answers
Southern Utah Football: conference, coach and schedule
Answers drawn from the official athletics site, with the date each was checked.
Published stories
Reporting attached to this team
These stories carry the official facts, local angles, and athlete context connected to the program.
Southern Utah Moved the Ball at Colorado State. The Turnovers Told the Rest.
Southern Utah produced 442 yards and 24 points at Colorado State on September 12, but four turnovers and the Rams' explosive scoring turned an early one-score game into a 58-24 loss.
Southern Utah Wins the Beehive Bowl and Idaho State Stuns Utah State
Saturday in Utah college football: a 47-42 Beehive Bowl decided by a 22-yard run, an FCS upset in Logan, and a 63-7 BYU opener in Provo.
Utah College Football Week 1: Four Programs, Two All-Utah Matchups, One Thursday Kickoff
No. 21 Utah opens Thursday against Idaho. On Saturday, No. 14 BYU hosts Utah Tech and Weber State visits Southern Utah, putting two all-Utah games on the same day while Utah State begins Pac-12 membership.
Weber State and Southern Utah Meet in Cedar City With Opposite Week 0 Results
Weber State survived Northern Colorado 30-29 on a blocked extra point in Eric Kjar's college head coaching debut. Southern Utah pushed No. 2 Montana to a 28-21 finish. The two Utah programs meet Saturday at Eccles Coliseum.
All Three Utah FCS Programs Will Share the Big Sky in 2026
Southern Utah and Utah Tech join the Big Sky on July 1, 2026, putting Weber State, SUU, and Utah Tech in the same conference for the first time.
Bronson Barron Makes SUU Football Feel Connected to the State
The American Fork quarterback gives Southern Utah a veteran passing story with Weber State history, Western Kentucky experience, and an efficient 2025 season in Cedar City.
SUU's Big Sky Move Starts With a Quarterback Room That Includes Will Burns
Southern Utah heads into a Big Sky Conference transition with a quarterback room that Thunderbirds coaches called one of their biggest 2025 strengths, and transfer Will Burns gives the Thunderbirds a dual-threat arrival story.