College GameDay is rolling into Provo, Utah, next Saturday, setting up an absolute heater of an undefeated clash between the No. 8 BYU Cougars and the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It is the first time the iconic show has been on BYU’s campus since 2009, but Cougar fans might be a little nervous, and for good reason.
GameDay Heads to an Undefeated Showdown
Let’s be real, GameDay has not exactly bathed itself in glory to start the 2026-27 college football season. Sure, Morgan Freeman was on the set as a guest picker in Week 3, and they hit Iowa City, Iowa, for the first time in 20 years in Week 4, even if Pat McAfee kinda ruined it. Nick Saban made his triumphant return to Alabama this Saturday, which was cool. But despite some stumbles, the show still knows how to pick a location for a massive game. They announced the Provo trip on October 10, posting, “Cougar fans, it’s been awhile. We’re headed to Provo for the first time since 2009 for Notre Dame-BYU.”
This matchup? It is pure fire. The No. 8 BYU Cougars are a spotless 5-0 after they just trampled Iowa State. Meanwhile, the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish are also perfect at 6-0, looking like they are playing an entirely different sport after crushing Stanford 58-7 this past Saturday. You want high stakes? You want undefeated teams squaring off? You got it. The whole thing kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
The GameDay Curse Is Real, And It’s Coming to Provo
While the excitement for students and fans to have GameDay on campus has got to be through the roof, the football team itself might be feeling a different kind of pressure. And here is why: this will only be the second time BYU has ever hosted the program. The first time? It did not end well for the Cougars at all. Back in 2009, TCU straight up routed BYU 38-7. Ouch.
The ugly truth is this: the Cougars are 0-4 all-time when featured on GameDay. That is right, zero wins, four losses. Talk about a curse, huh? The big question hanging over Provo right now is whether they can finally break that GameDay curse against the Irish. GameDay has had some interesting guest pickers this season, including Lainey Wilson, Glen Powell, Johnny Knoxville, Caitlin Clark, and Bryce Young. For BYU, you have got some compelling options like Ken Jennings or even Steve Young. But with the Minnesota Vikings on a Week 6 bye week, Kyle Van Noy could be an easy pick to guest.
Can BYU finally shake off the GameDay jitters and protect their undefeated record at home against a powerhouse like Notre Dame? That is the question of the week, and the entire college football world will be watching to see if this curse is for real.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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