It’s been pretty clear that the TV powers have long favored the SEC, but opted to have Notre Dame at BYU as ABC’s “Saturday Night Football” game next weekend.
It was a choice that the network waited on, and the decision is significant. As Ben Huddleston shared on social media, it will be the first time in almost three years that ABC won’t have an SEC or ACC game on its primetime slot.
This goes to show the draw that Notre Dame has among the college football community, as putting them in this slot is a big deal. This means that they’ll be more eyes on the Irish, as the nation will most likely be turning in to the potential top-10 matchup.
At the moment Notre Dame is No. 3 and BYU is No. 8 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Both teams have very winnable
games this weekend, and should see a impactful College Football Playoff-type game. The excitement for the Irish and Cougars was already pretty large, but now it’s even bigger as the game will be on ABC primetime.
Notre Dame-BYU set for 7:30 PM ET on ABC on October 17. It’s the first non-SEC/ACC game on ABC “Saturday Night Football” since Washington-Oregon State on November 18, 2023.
— Ben Huddleston (@sportswithben1) October 5, 2026
Should be quite a scene in Provo, which always brings the “big-game energy”.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame at BYU in primetime breaks streak spanning three seasons
