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Notre Dame's Bowl Snub Sparks BYU Football Rivalry
17 Oct
Summary
- Declining the Pop-Tarts Bowl indirectly led to a future Notre Dame-BYU series.
- Notre Dame and BYU were both snubbed from the College Football Playoff last season.
- A future home-and-home series between Notre Dame and BYU was agreed upon after the bowl game decline.
Notre Dame's choice to withdraw from the Pop-Tarts Bowl following a College Football Playoff snub has unexpectedly paved the way for a future home-and-home series with BYU. The Fighting Irish, controversially excluded from the CFP last season, opted out of the bowl game. This decision, however, initiated conversations between athletic directors.
Pete Bevacqua of Notre Dame and Brian Santiago of BYU, previously connected through a mutual acquaintance, maintained contact. Following Notre Dame's bowl game withdrawal, Bevacqua proposed a game, which Santiago readily accepted. This exchange ultimately led to a home-and-home series scheduled for 2026 and 2027.
The scheduling fortuitously aligned as BYU's series with Cal was canceled due to conference realignments, and Notre Dame had an opening due to its USC rivalry game being postponed. This series will celebrate the shared faith-based missions of both universities.
The Fighting Irish currently hold a 7-2 all-time record against BYU, though two wins were vacated. Their next encounter is scheduled for October 17th in Provo, Utah, with ESPN's College GameDay in attendance.
