ABC announces primetime kickoff for BYU and Notre Dame

ABC announces primetime kickoff for BYU and Notre Dame

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ABC announces primetime kickoff for BYU and Notre Dame
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier looks to throw the ball during game against Arizona Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, against in Provo, Utah.
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier looks to throw the ball during game against Arizona Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, against in Provo, Utah.
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Tyler Tate, Associated Press

BYU’s biggest game of the season finally has a start time.

The Cougars’ Oct. 17 clash with Notre Dame will kick off at 5:30 p.m. MDT at LaVell Edwards Stadium and be broadcast on ABC, the program announced Monday.

The 5:30 p.m. MDT time slot on ABC — 7:30 p.m. on the East Coast — is considered the network’s premier television window for college football, typically drawing the highest viewership.

Such a matchup clearly merits the primetime treatment, as Notre Dame and BYU each rank No. 3 and No. 8, respectively, in the latest AP top 25 poll.

Since being announced this past December, the Irish visiting Provo has been viewed among the season’s most highly-anticipated contests. There are heavy College Football Playoff implications on the line, especially considering both BYU and Notre Dame narrowly missed being part of last season’s 12-team field.

For BYU, hosting the Irish will be the program’s most important regular season outing in decades. Scoring an upset victory over Notre Dame could drastically alter how the Cougars are perceived nationally, while also making a statement regarding the quality of the Big 12 Conference.

Notre Dame and BYU have previously faced off on nine occasions, with the Irish winning 2022’s most recent meeting and holding a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series.

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