BYU head coach Kalani Sitake will be eyeing a potential College Football Playoff push in the 2026 season, with one of the Cougars’ most important games taking place in Week 7 against Notre Dame. The game is part of a newly completed home-and-home series arrangement between the two schools.
Kalani Sitake and BYU’s playoff heartbreak add extra spice to a big meeting between the two teams.
On Monday, On3’s Ari Wasserman and Andy Staples debated the BYU and Notre Dame game.
“I believe BYU is probably as sympathetic to Notre Dame as anyone since they performed as an independent until joining the Big 12 between the West and the Big 12,” Staples remarked. “So they’ve been trying to schedule this. “
The remarks come as debate over College Football Playoff growth and selection errors continue to dominate. The topic remains especially sensitive for BYU supporters, as the Cougars narrowly missed the expanded 12-team playoff field despite finishing the 2025 regular season with an 11-1 record.
The CFP committee rated BYU behind several two-loss SEC teams, as well as a three-loss Alabama, and BYU’s decisive loss against Texas Tech supports their decision. The Cougars still had a chance to obtain an automatic bid by winning the Big 12 Football Championship Game, but another defeat to Texas Tech dashed those aspirations.
BYU was then forced to compete for an at-large berth, which it failed to obtain despite having one of the greatest records in the country. Many thought BYU had been treated unfairly in comparison to power-conference clubs with worse records.
“I got a mini BYU avalanche dumped at me this week,” adds Wasserman. “Based on clips we got from our show, because they are very pro. The expansion to 24 is because they may have made the strongest argument for being mistreated the most by the CFP committee. And they would be in or would have been in. “
Notre Dame also knows the anguish of postseason failure, since the Irish were one of the top-ranked teams to narrowly miss the CFP field last season. Aside from football, BYU and Notre Dame have many characteristics, including as being private, faith-based universities with devoted fan groups.
Notre Dame is scheduled to play its third-ever game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in 2026, marking their first visit since 2004. BYU will then travel to South Bend in 2027 to play Notre Dame in its first road game since 2013.
The Irish lead the series 7-2, therefore it will be more competitive and focus Sitake and Marcus Freeman, two of college football’s finest leaders and coaches. According to the PFSN College Football Playoff prediction, the Irish now have an 82. 9% probability of making the playoff pool, while BYU has a 29. 7%.
