This biggest game of the Brent Brennan era just got even bigger. Arizona is set to host Utah on Saturday for a ranked Big 12 matchup. The Wildcats (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) moved back up to No. 22 in the AP Top 25 Poll with the Utes (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) coming in at No. 2.
While ESPN’s College Gameday decided not to make the trip to Tucson, FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff morning show is making the trip to the Old Pueblo. Along with its morning show, FOX will also be sending the primetime crew of play-by-play commentator
Gus Johnson, color analyst Joel Klatt, and sideline reporter Jenny Taft to call the game.
This will be the show’s first time coming to Tucson, and Arizona’s second appearance. The show will take place on the UA mall, which is historically where ESPN’s show took place in its two appearances in Tucson. The first appearance took place in Provo in Brennan’s first season when Arizona got blown out 41-19 to BYU.
The last time the commentary crew covered an Arizona game was the 2026 Holiday Bowl where the Wildcats lost 24-19 to SMU. The last time it covered a game in Tucson was during the shortened 2020 season when Arizona lost 34-30 to USC.
The Utes return to Tucson for the first time since 2023, where it was the Wildcats walking away with a 42-18 win. Arizona stunned the Utah faithful with a 23-10 upset win in Brennan’s first season, but the overall record sits with the Utes at 26-21-2.
Saturday’s matchup will be a Military Appreciation day as well as a “Stripeout” for the fans who will be in attendance. Arizona is 1-1 in Military Appreciation games under Brennan, and is 1-0 in stripeout games. The first stripeout game came in 2023 when Arizona beat Oregon State 27-24.
Arizona will wait to see how far it rises, if it does, on Tuesday when the second installment of the College Football Playoff rankings come out. As of right now, the Wildcats and Utes stand at No. 22 and No. 3, respectively.
