BYU Football Faces Notre Dame as an Underdog With Everything to Prove

The No. 8 BYU Cougars are an underdog at home for Saturday’s matchup with No. 2 Notre Dame. While this contest seems like a mismatch for oddsmakers, the gap between the Cougars and Irish isn't wide at all. These teams were set to play each other in last year's Pop-Tarts Bowl before Notre Dame chose to end this season abruptly with a two-loss campaign.

Nevertheless, Kalani Sitake has turned his team into a winner in the Big 12. They'll try to win their first conference title this year. The school has been reluctant to offer adequate resources. But they've recently responded by pouring money into the football program, which has been on the cusp of advancing into the College Football Playoff each of the past two seasons.

Last week, BYU and a Utah investment firm, PV3 Enterprises, announced a long-term partnership. The agreement is the largest financial commitment in the history of the Cougars’ athletic program and included the naming rights to the football surface in LaVell Edwards Stadium. It's a large investment in BYU’s overall football facilities, and an NIL initiative for select football players and other athletes on campus.

Being able to face Notre Dame in a mid-season matchup doesn't happen if USC continues the storied rivalry with the Irish. BYU was presented with a unique opportunity last December to have a home-and-home series with Notre Dame. The offer was too good to turn down for the Cougars. This worked out for both schools and adds excitement where there would otherwise be a conference matchup.

This will be the first top-10-ranked matchup in the history of LaVell Edwards Stadium. Notre Dame is ranked No. 2 in the current AP Top 25 poll, and BYU is ranked No. 8. ESPN’s College GameDay is coming to BYU’s campus for the first time since 2009. The hype around Provo is real and this could be a point where BYU gains serious national credibility.

“They’re the ones that reached out and wanted this game,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said this week. “It’d be crazy for us to turn it down. And so when they reached out and wanted this series and wanted this game, I thought that was a huge opportunity for us to play them.”

For BYU, this could be a top-five win, which would be its first since 2009. There are also College Football Playoff implications for both teams, which are heavier for Notre Dame without a conference tie-in.

BYU looks to upset Notre Dame in the biggest primetime event to hit Provo in modern history. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.