BYU football welcomes Notre Dame to Utah for the first time since 2004.
(John Locher | AP) Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer (87) makes a grab for BYU quarterback Micah Harper (1) as the two schools play in Las Vegas in 2022.
Notre Dame opted out of playing BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl this month.
But the Fighting Irish opted to travel to Provo next year.
BYU will host Notre Dame at LaVell Edwards Stadium in 2026 and visit South Bend in 2027.
The dates of the games have not yet been announced.
“These will be competitive football games and will highlight Kalani Sitake and Marcus Freeman, two of the best leaders and coaches in college football,” BYU athletic director Brian Santiago said in a statement.
BYU last played Notre Dame in 2022 in Las Vegas for the Irish “Shamrock Series,” which takes Notre Dame across the country to play at neutral sites. BYU waited nearly a decade to play this game before dropping its Notre Dame streak.
The Fighting Irish last came to Provo in 2004 when the Cougars won 20-17. Brady Quinn was Notre Dame’s quarterback that year.
This new series fills the gap in BYU’s schedule left by Cal when the Golden Bears canceled their home-and-home contract with the Cougars.
“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,” Santiago said.
Scheduling the Irish represents a major victory for Santiago as BYU’s new athletic director. Notre Dame has long been considered the white whale of BYU planning.
When the Cougars went independent, then-athletic director Tom Holmoe announced a six-game streak with the Irish — signing three to two-game contracts.
But after BYU traveled to South Bend in 2013 for the first meeting, Notre Dame promptly voided two of those contracts — sitting out four games. A rematch in Provo scheduled for 2014 was also moved from Utah, delayed nine years and eventually played in Vegas.
Now in the Big 12, BYU has become a more attractive opponent for Notre Dame. BYU also needed to schedule a Power Four team, including the Irish, to fulfill the Big 12’s obligation to play 10 power opponents.
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