For the third consecutive year, the highly anticipated BYU-Utah football rivalry game is slated for mid-season, sparking debate among fans and sports analysts. The Big 12 Conference's decision to schedule this heated matchup on Saturday, November 7th, in Salt Lake City, rather than during the traditional 'Rivalry Week' at the end of the regular season, has drawn criticism. Commissioner Brett Yormark defends the move as a strategy to boost interest throughout November, despite past records showing higher viewership for other late-season games.
BYU-Utah Rivalry: A Mid-Season Spectacle in the Big 12 Schedule
The Big 12 Conference unveiled its 2026 football schedule on a recent Wednesday morning, placing the fierce gridiron clash between the BYU Cougars and the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City on a crisp Saturday, November 7th. This marks the third consecutive year that this deeply entrenched rivalry will unfold in the heart of the season, a departure from the long-standing tradition of concluding the regular season with this epic confrontation. In previous years, notably 2025, BYU hosted Utah in Provo on October 18th, and their inaugural Big 12 face-off in 2024 took place on November 9th. While these encounters have delivered memorable victories for BYU, a growing chorus of fans and commentators has voiced displeasure with the conference's consistent choice to position such a compelling rivalry act mid-season, rather than reserving it for college football's renowned 'Rivalry Week' at the season's close.
Historically, during their shared 12-season tenure in the Mountain West Conference from 1999 to 2010, the Cougars and Utes consistently battled in the regular-season finale, with only two exceptions in 2001 and 2007. Consequently, many anticipated a return to late November matchups when Utah joined the Big 12 before the 2024 season. However, the league has opted for these mid-season showdowns instead. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark addressed these scheduling concerns during the 2024 Big 12 football media days, emphasizing the critical importance of rivalries like Utah-BYU, Arizona-Arizona State, and others to the conference's heritage and fan base. Yormark explained that the scheduling committee's strategy aims to distribute interest throughout November, though he conceded that the league does not prioritize a dedicated 'Rivalry Week' like some other conferences. Interestingly, for 2026, the Big 12 did schedule four other rivalry games for the final week of the regular season, including Arizona/Arizona State and Kansas State/Iowa State.
The underlying rationale for placing the BYU/Utah game mid-season appears to be a calculated move to carve out a unique slot in the national college football landscape and attract a broader television audience. The 2024 game on November 9th drew 2.1 million viewers on ESPN, at the time a significant late-night viewership for the network. However, the 2025 contest, despite both teams ranking in the top 15, saw a slight dip to 1.97 million viewers on Fox. In comparison, a late November game between BYU and Cincinnati on Fox, with a similar kickoff time to the Utah game, garnered a higher viewership of 2.6 million. While there's a certain logic to the Big 12's desire to strategically position the BYU/Utah rivalry for maximum national exposure, especially when major pre-game shows like 'Big Noon Kickoff' are involved, the game often becomes the singular biggest sporting event of the year in Utah. The 2025 matchup even determined a spot in the Big 12 championship game. Such a pivotal contest might indeed merit the dramatic build-up of an entire season, culminating in a grand finale that truly caps off the regular season with unmatched intensity and fanfare.
The ongoing debate surrounding the BYU-Utah rivalry's scheduling highlights a fascinating tension between tradition and modern conference strategies. While the Big 12 aims to optimize viewership and engagement across its schedule, there's an undeniable emotional pull for fans to see this heated contest conclude the regular season. This scenario prompts reflection on the delicate balance between commercial interests and the deeply ingrained cultural significance of sports rivalries. Perhaps a future compromise could involve designating specific rivalry weekends that allow for flexibility while still honoring the historical importance of these matchups.