PROVO, Utah (Jan. 30, 2020) — Brigham Young University today released its 2020 football schedule that features three matchups with top-25 teams from last season and six games against Power 5 conference opponents.
The Cougars will face three teams—Minnesota (No. 10 AP, No. 10 Coaches), Utah (No. 16 AP, No. 16 Coaches) and Boise State (No. 23 AP, No. 22 Coaches)—that finished 2019 in the final top-25 polls with records of 11-2, 11-3 and 12-2, respectively. Seven teams on the schedule earned a bowl invitation in 2019, while the Cougars’ FBS opponents posted a collective 85-56 (.603) record this past season.
In all, the 12-game slate includes teams from 10 different states and seven conferences—SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12, American, Mountain West, Mid-American and Big South. BYU opponents in 2020 represent the states of Alabama, Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Texas and Utah.
BYU kicks off the season with four games against the Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences. The Cougars open the season in Salt Lake City against in-state rival Utah of the Pac-12 in a featured Thursday night matchup on Sept. 3. The BYU home opener takes place on Saturday, Sept. 12 with the Michigan State Spartans coming to Provo for the first time in what marks only the second-ever Big Ten opponent, after Wisconsin in 2017, to play in LaVell Edwards Stadium. BYU then takes to the road to renew its series against Arizona State of the Pac-12 on Saturday, Sept. 19 as the two former WAC foes meet for the first time since a 26-6 BYU victory in Provo in 1998. The Cougars finish the month of September traveling to Big Ten territory for their first-ever football trip to Minnesota to face last year’s top-10 Golden Gophers on Saturday, Sept. 26.
The in-state matchup with Utah State of the MW on Friday, Oct. 2 begins the first of three home games in October for the Cougars. BYU then welcomes Missouri of the SEC to LaVell Edwards Stadium the following week on Saturday, Oct. 10 for the Tigers’ first trip to Provo. The Cougars stay at home to host the Houston Cougars of the American Athletic Conference the next weekend (update: will be a featured Friday night national TV matchup on ESPN or ESPN2 on Oct. 16), before taking its first road trip of the month to play at Northern Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 24.
After a bye week, BYU opens the month of November in Boise, Idaho, on Friday, Nov. 6 (update: moved from originally scheduled Saturday contest) against last year’s 12-2 Boise State Broncos, before hosting San Diego State, another MW opponent that had double-digit victories last year with a 10-3 record. The Aztecs come to town on Saturday, Nov. 14 for their first visit to Provo since the two schools were conference opponents back in 2010. After facing SDSU, the Cougars host FCS foe North Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 21 for senior day. BYU concludes the regular season at Stanford when it begins a new series with the Cardinal on Saturday, Nov. 28 at Stanford Stadium.
Television plans and kick times are yet to be announced. Dates are subject to change to accommodate television plans.
Go toBYUTickets.com for ticket information and to purchase tickets.
Select the following link to see the 2020 BYU football schedule.
2020 BYU FOOTBALL OPPONENT & SERIES INFORMATION
@ UTAH UTES (Rice-Eccles Stadium) — Thursday, Sept. 3
- Utah is coming off an 11-3 season and Pac-12 South Division title after going 8-1 in league games. The Utes finished ranked No. 16 after losing to Texas, 38-10, in the 2019 Alamo Bowl.
- For the second time in the history of the rivalry, BYU and Utah meet to open the season. After opening the 2019 season in Provo, 2020 will be the first time the teams meet in a season opener in Salt Lake City.
- The game takes place in a featured Thursday night matchup on Sept. 3.
- BYU’s series record: 31-59-4
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — Saturday, Sept. 12
- Michigan State is coming off a 7-6 record overall and 4-5 league mark in the Big Ten South, finishing tied for third. The Spartans defeated Wake Forest, 27-21, in the 2019 Pinstripe Bowl.
- Michigan State is making its first-ever visit to Provo to face BYU in LaVell Edwards Stadium. The previous series meeting was a 31-14 BYU victory in East Lansing in 2016.
- The Spartans will be only the second Big Ten team to play in Provo. Wisconsin was the first in 2017.
- BYU’s series record: 1-0
@ ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (Sun Devil Stadium) — Saturday, Sept. 19
- Arizona State is coming off an 8-5 season, including a 4-5 Pac-12 record to finish tied for third in the Pac-12 South. The Sun Devils defeated Florida State, 20-14, to win the 2019 Sun Bowl.
- Former WAC conference foes renew a series that began in 1935 and was last played in 1998 when the Cougars defeated the Sun Devils, 26-6, in Provo on Sept. 12.
- ASU will return to Provo to meet the Cougars in 2021 to complete the home-and-home series.
- BYU’s series record: 7-20
@ MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (TCF Bank Stadium) — Saturday, Sept. 26
- Minnesota is coming off an 11-2 season, including a 7-2 Big Ten record to tie for first in the West Division.
- The Golden Gophers finished the year ranked No. 10 in both polls after defeating Auburn, 31-24, in the Outback Bowl.
- Minnesota finished No. 10 in total defense in 2019 while also ranking No. 21 in scoring offense.
- BYU’s series record: First meeting
UTAH STATE AGGIES (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — Friday, Oct. 2
- Utah State is coming off a 7-6 season and 6-2 mark in the Mountain West Conference to finish third in the Mountain Division.
- The Aggies were invited to the 2019 Frisco Bowl, losing to Kent State, 51-41.
- BYU won the last meeting this past season in Logan, 42-14, to end a two-game losing streak that included Utah State’s 45-20 victory in the last meeting in Provo on Oct. 5, 2018.
- BYU’s series record: 49-37-3
MISSOURI TIGERS (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — Saturday, Oct. 10
- Missouri is coming off a 6-6 record and a 3-5 mark in the SEC East in 2019.
- This will be the first visit to Provo for the Tigers and only the second SEC team to visit LaVell Edwards Stadium (Mississippi State 2000, 2016)
- BYU played Missouri at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, in 2015 and lost, 20-16. The Cougars did defeat the Tigers in the only other matchup, the 1983 Holiday Bowl where running back Eddie Stinnett tossed quarterback Steve Young the winning score.
- BYU’s series record: 1-1
HOUSTON COUGARS (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — Friday, Oct. 16
- Houston is coming off of a 4-8 season with a 2-6 record in the American Athletic Conference.
- The red Cougars have visited Provo once before, with BYU picking up a 33-25 win in 2014.
- BYU visited Reliant Stadium to play Houston in 2013, turning in one of the wildest Cougar games in history when Taysom Hill threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for 128 yards, with BYU needing just about each one in a 47-46 thriller.
- BYU’s series record: 2-0
@ NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES (SeatGeek Stadium in Chicago) — Saturday, Oct. 24
- The Northern Illinois Huskies went 5-7 in 2019 and finished third in the MAC West division at 4-4.
- The two schools have met once before, in Provo in 2018. BYU couldn’t find any offense and lost to the defensive minded Huskies 7-6 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
- NIU is located in DeKalb, Illinois. This will be the program’s first trip to play a game in the state of Illinois. Update: The game will be played in the Chicago area as NIU's featured 2020 Chi-Town Showdown.
- BYU’s series record: 0-1
@ BOISE STATE BRONCOS (Albertsons Stadium) — Friday, Nov. 6
- Boise State went 12-2 overall last season and won the Mountain West Conference title after going a perfect 8-0 in the league. The Broncos played in the Las Vegas Bowl, losing to the Washington Huskies of the Pac-12 38-7 but still finished the year ranked No. 19.
- The Cougars handed Boise State its only loss of the regular season last year, edging out the Broncos, 28-25, at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
- BYU has never defeated Boise State on the blue turf, going winless in five tries.
- BYU’s series record: 3-7
SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — Saturday, Nov. 14
- San Diego State is coming off a 10-win season at 10-3 and a 5-3 mark in the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs defeated Central Michigan, 48-11, in the New Mexico Bowl.
- San Diego State and BYU will meet at LaVell Edwards Stadium for the first time since 2010 when the two were both members of the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars beat the Aztecs 24-21 in 2010. Brady Hoke, newly named head coach of the Aztecs, was in his first stint as San Diego State’s head coach for the 2010 game.
- Last year the Aztecs beat BYU in San Diego 13-3 in a defensive battle at the end of the regular season.
- BYU series record: 28-8-1
NORTH ALABAMA LIONS (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — Saturday, Nov. 21
- North Alabama, a member of the FCS and Big South conference, finished 4-7 overall last season in its second year at the FCS level.
- The two schools have never met in football before.
- The Lions reached the Division II national championship in 2016 and had a streak of 11 consecutive Division II playoff appearances from 2004 to 2016.
- BYU’s series record: First meeting
@ STANFORD CARDINAL (Stanford Stadium) — Saturday, Nov. 28
- Stanford went 4-8 in 2019 and posted a 3-6 mark in the Pac-12.
- BYU and Stanford just extended the upcoming four-game series to eight games, with matchups into the 2035 season.
- The two schools last met in 2004, with BYU falling, 37-10, at Stanford Stadium. The Cougars also came up short in 2003 at LaVell Edwards Stadium, dropping the contest, 18-14.
- BYU series record: 0-2