Have I mentioned yet that BYU-Notre Dame is the biggest Big 12 football game in 2026?

In an era where opportunities to play the most prominent brands in the sport continue to dwindle, getting the Fighting Irish to come to Provo is a massive opportunity for the Cougars and the league. 

BYU has been left on the outside of the College Football Playoff the last two seasons, despite having playoff-worthy resumes. Taking down Notre Dame would give the Cougars a monster shot of credibility that could get them over the playoff hump. 

A BYU win could also go a long way toward regaining some of the credibility the league lost when Texas Tech was thumped by Oregon in last year’s playoff. It’s a rare non-playoff opportunity to pick up national respect. 

As of right now, the BYU-Notre Dame series is only scheduled for 2026 and 2027. But could it become an annual matchup?

Surprisingly, that became a topic this week thanks to Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman from On3. Andy and Ari gave the idea of making this an annual series two thumbs up on their YouTube show, and Ari expanded on it in a column.

I didn’t expect a national show to get on board with this, but I’ll certainly take it. An annual Notre Dame-BYU series would be incredible for college football.

It’s a no-brainer for the Cougars and a total win-win situation. If BYU beats Notre Dame, its at-large chances for the College Football Playoff get a huge boost. If the Cougars lose, they can still make the playoff by winning the Big 12.

And having a historic brand like the Fighting Irish come to your home stadium every other year would generate a ton of excitement and attention.

College football fans win, too. This would have been a top-15 matchup last season, and both Notre Dame and BYU could have used the extra juice on their schedules. 

Both schools have rising-star head coaches. Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman might be the hottest coaching name in the sport besides Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, and BYU’s Kalani Sitake just turned down Penn State five months ago. 

Sitake’s flirtation resulted in BYU making a greater financial commitment to football, so the Cougars should be set to be a top-20 program for the foreseeable future. Freeman is currently recruiting like no Fighting Irish head coach ever has before.

This matchup is also interesting in all the ways that make college football unique and great, which gives it the potential to become an awesome rivalry. Both schools have massive national and international fan bases because of their religious affiliations and proud traditions, and each either currently or formerly had the ability to operate as an independent.

The sport is built on rivalries with cultural undertones like what Notre Dame and BYU’s religious affiliations provide. 

Unfortunately, there are a couple of hang-ups. 

The two-game series was scheduled after USC and Notre Dame couldn’t agree on a way to keep their storied rivalry going, but new reports indicate the Trojans and Irish are talking again. 

I’m not saying a resumption of that series means games against BYU would be totally off the table. It might make it more complicated, though. 

BYUtv’s Jarom Jordan pointed out that the Cougars already have their Power Four non-con game booked out through the mid-2030s. 

But if Notre Dame seriously approached BYU about extending the series, I’m guessing the Cougars could find the space. Whether that means canceling on Boston College, SMU, Michigan State, or Virginia Tech, or just taking on an extra Power Four-equivalent non-conference game, you’d have to do that for this type of opportunity, right?

Ultimately, Notre Dame would have to decide whether an annual series like this is in its best interest. I doubt there’s any real chatter about it at all right now, especially if discussions with USC are back on the table. 

But let’s see how it all plays out. BYU has finished with a higher College Football Playoff ranking than USC in four of the last six seasons. If the Cougars give Notre Dame back-to-back games against a top-20 opponent, the Fighting Irish may really warm to the idea. 

There is already widespread criticism of Notre Dame’s relatively weak 2026 schedule. It could make the most sense for Marcus Freeman and company to play both USC and BYU annually, especially if we move to a 24-team playoff that gives the Irish enough wiggle room to lose three games and still make the field.

You might have to convince Notre Dame and BYU that it’s worth it, but you certainly don’t have to convince me. I’ll join Andy and Ari in manifesting this into existence. 

Jamie Pollard Goes After the Big Ten and SEC

Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard went semi-viral in the college sports world this week by taking some pointed shots at the SEC and Big Ten. 

He makes a great point about the College Sports Commission. Right now, it’s a mess. The same schools in the SEC and Big Ten that signed off on creating the CSC as part of the landmark House v. NCAA settlement now can’t stand the CSC and want sweeping changes or else.

Many of these schools’ administrators are the same ones anonymously quoted in story after story about how badly college sports need guardrails and spending limits. 

That has led to talk this week at Big Ten meetings about the league breaking away from the NCAA into self-governance. The SEC has been discussing the same idea for months.

And that is why Pollard called their bluff by telling them to just go ahead and leave already. 

I certainly understand where Pollard’s frustration is coming from. I’ve had Big 12 fans telling me they feel the same way since July 2021, when it was announced that Texas and Oklahoma were leaving for the SEC.

Pollard is right that it wouldn’t go as smoothly as the SEC and Big Ten might think it will if they wind up with only each other to play in every sport. My point for years has been that cutting out the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 (RIP), and Group of Six would be killing the golden goose. 

As much as the big brands of the sport complain about “subsidizing” the lesser brands, they need them. Nobody can survive long-term without the entire college football ecosystem.

If you cut out too much of the country and drain college football of the unique idiosyncrasies and traditions that set it apart from semi-pro football, it will suffer massively. 

But is it dangerous for Pollard to poke the bear here? While I appreciate his candor, I would proceed with caution. 

My stance has always been that the Big 12 and its member schools should do everything in their power to survive at the highest level until the dust settles. Nobody knows when and how the dust will settle, but eventually, it will. 

Will there be congressional help? Will it result in a massive super league? A leaner one? Do the SEC and Big Ten create a new AFC-NFC model? 

There are way too many variables to accurately predict where this will wind up.

By far, the best-case scenario for Big 12 schools is to still be invited to the dance in the end, even if it means swallowing some pride and enduring bullying right now.

Pollard is in a unique position as a Big 12 athletic director with enough tenure to speak out about issues like this. I’m sure he speaks for many Big 12 fans and administrators.

I just hope he’s still ready to hold on for the ride, despite comments suggesting the league should do the opposite.

What You Need to Know

• The judge assigned to Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby’s case against the NCAA has recused himself. I think this picture probably explains why. 

• Houston men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson had more eye-opening comments about the Cougars’ financial situation. 

• Jeff Fuller has some great data that shows why the SEC and Big Ten shouldn’t break away from everyone else. 

• Big 12 matchups at the Player’s Era Championship are now set.

• Want your Big 12 news and analysis in podcast form? Listen to Open For Business at the gym, in your car, or first thing in the morning on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

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