BYU, Big 12 announce 2025 football schedule

Games Played: 1
Overall Series: 1-0
at BYU: 1-0
at Portland State: -
Neutral: -
Last game: 2017 (BYU won 20-6 in Provo)

The Portland State Vikings make their second visit to LaVell Edwards Stadium in the season opener on Saturday, August 30. 

The two schools played in 2017's season opener with BYU picking up a 20-6 victory. Running back Squally Canada ran for 98 yards and a touchdown while current NFL superstar linebacker Fred Warner led the defense with 10 total tackles and NFL safety Zayne Anderson had a late interception to finish off the win. 

Portland State, from the Football Championship Subdivision, went 3-8 last season, including a 3-5 mark in the Big Sky Conference. 

Head coach Bruce Barnum will be entering his 11th year as the head coach of the Vikings and 16th year overall with the program. He led Portland State to the FCS Playoffs in 2015, a top-10 ranking and was named the Big Sky Coach of the Year. 

Games Played: 3
Overall Series: 1-2
at BYU: 0-1
at Stanford: 1-1
Neutral: -
First game: 2003
Last game: 2022 (BYU won 35-26 at Stanford)

BYU hosts the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday, Sept. 6 in Provo. It will be just the fourth overall meeting between the two schools and second at LaVell Edwards Stadium. 

The Cougars ran past the Cardinal in the last matchup with a season-high 358 rushing yards to power a 35-26 win. Running back Chris Brooks, currently with the Green Bay Packers, led the way with 164 yards, while Hinckley Ropati had 85, quarterback Jaren Hall added 69 and wideout Puka Nacua posted another 38 on the ground. 

Stanford last came to Provo in 2003, beating BYU 18-14 with nine fourth-quarter points.

The Cardinal finished its first year a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference last year at 3-9 with a 2-6 league mark. Stanford picked up wins at 10-win Syracuse and at home against No. 22 Louisville to highlight the season. 

Head coach Troy Taylor has a record of 6-18 through his first two years at the helm. The former Utah offensive coordinator also spent time on current BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe's staff at Cal as a quarterbacks and tight ends coach from 1997-2000. 

Games Played: 3
Overall Series: 1-2
at BYU: 1-1
at East Carolina: 0-1
Neutral: -
First game: 2015
Last game: 2022 (ECU won 27-24 in Provo)

The Cougars head to Greenville, North Carolina, after their first bye week to take on the East Carolina Pirates on Sept. 20 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. 

BYU trails in the series 1-2 after losing the last matchup, a 2022 heartbreaker in Provo when the Pirates kicked a last-second field goal to win 27-24. 

In their last visit to ECU, the Cougars fell 33-17 in 2017. Future NFL quarterback Gardner Minshew threw two touchdowns in relief to beat BYU. 

Last year ECU went 8-5 with a 5-3 record in the American Athletic Conference. The Pirates defeated in-state foe NC State 26-21 in the Military Bowl to cap their season. 

Head coach Blake Harrell took over as interim head coach on Oct. 20 during the 2024 season and proceeded to lead ECU to five wins in their final six games after serving as the Pirates' defensive coordinator since 2020. 

Games Played: 13
Overall Series: 4-8-1
at BYU: 1-2-1
at Colorado: 1-6-0
Neutral: 2-0-0
First game: 1923
Last game: 2024 (BYU won 36-14 at the Alamo Bowl)

BYU opens Big 12 Conference play in Boulder to face the Colorado Buffaloes on the road in a rematch of the 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl. 

The Cougars trail in the overall series 4-8-1, but have won the last three contests including last year's bowl matchup. 

BYU capped its 2024 season with one of its most dominant performances all season to beat Colorado 36-14 in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. 

Defensively, the Cougars shut down the potent Colorado offense led by Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and projected high NFL draft pick Shedeur Sanders at quarterback. BYU forced two turnovers and held the Buffs to just 210 total yards, including two rushing yards. 

Colorado tied with BYU for first-place in the Big 12 in 2024, finishing at 9-4 overall and 7-2 in league play, earning a final No. 25 ranking. 

Head coach Deion Sanders is back for his third year with Colorado. Sanders turned Colorado around from a 4-8 team in his first year to 9-4 last season after arriving in Boulder from Jackson State. He led Jackson State to three-straight winning seasons and two appearances in the Celebration Bowl. Sanders is 40-18 as a head coach. 

Games Played: 2
Overall Series: 0-2
at BYU: 0-0
at West Virginia: 0-1
Neutral: 0-1
First game: 2016
Last game: 2023 (West Virginia won 37-7 in Morgantown)

West Virginia will make its first trip to Provo for a Friday-night showdown with the Cougars on Oct. 3 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. 

The two schools have only played twice, once at a neutral site in 2016 at FedEx Field, now called Northwest Stadium, the home of the Washington Commanders in Landover, Maryland, and then in 2023 in Morgantown. West Virginia won both of the previous matchups. 

In Morgantown in 2023, BYU fell 37-7 in quarterback Jake Retzlaff's first career start. The West Virginia rushing attack was potent, running for 336 yards to power the win. 

Last year the Mountaineers went 6-7, with a 5-4 record in the Big 12. West Virginia played in the Frisco Bowl against Memphis, falling to the Tigers 42-37. 

West Virginia dipped into the past after the 2024 season by hiring Rich Rodriguez, who coached the Mountaineers from 2001-2007. Rodriguez left Morgantown to coach Michigan in 2008 before moving on to Arizona and Jacksonville State. He went 60-26 for the Mountaineers in his first stint. 

Games Played: 26
Overall Series: 13-12-1
at BYU: 5-3-0
at Arizona: 6-8-1
Neutral: 2-1
First game: 1936
Last game: 2024 (BYU won 41-19 in Provo)

BYU will travel to Tucson, Arizona, to take on the Wildcats on Saturday, Oct. 11 at Arizona Stadium. 

This is the 27th game in the series between the two schools, who were once conference opponents previously during Arizona’s time in the WAC from 1962-1978. BYU holds a 13-12-1 advantage in the series that dates back to the first contest in 1936. 

The Cougars hosted the Wildcats in 2024 at LaVell Edwards Stadium on a day where FOX's Big Noon Kickoff came to Provo and BYU handed Arizona a 41-19 loss. The Cougar defense forced three interceptions and held the Wildcat offense to just 4.6 yards per play. 

Arizona finished 2024 with a 4-8 record and went 2-7 in the Big 12 Conference in the Wildcats first year as a member of the league. 

Brent Brennan enters his second year as Arizona's head coach in 2025. The former San Jose State coach is 38-56 in eight seasons as a head coach. Brennan and Kalani Sitake spent the 2015 season on the same staff at Oregon State where Sitake was the defensive coordinator and Brennan served as the wide receivers coach.

Games Played: 96
Overall Series: 33-59-4
at BYU: 16-21-1
at Utah: 17-37-3
Neutral: 0-1-0
First game: 1922
Last game: 2024 (BYU won 22-21 in Salt Lake City)

The University of Utah arrives at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18 for the first time since 2021 and the 97th game in the historic series—the longest-running series in school history.

This year's game marks the first time since 1967 the two teams have met in the month of October. The game was often played in October in the first four decades of the series, with 33 matchups from 1922-1967 taking place in the 10th month of the year. The rivalry was played early in the season during BYU's run in independence, with seven games played in August or September from 2011-2021. 

BYU has won the last two games and will be attempting to win three in a row for the first time since a stretch of four consecutive wins from 1989-1992. 

Last season in one of the most thrilling contests of the year, another chapter was written in the classic game with BYU coming back in the final minute. Backed up to their own end zone to start the drive, the Cougars survived a fourth-down attempt thanks to a Utah penalty and moved down the field to set up Will Ferrin for a 44-yard field goal attempt with just a few ticks on the clock. Ferrin's kick went through the uprights for the 22-21 victory. 

The Cougars broke a streak of nine losses in a row to the Utes in 2021, the last game in Provo. BYU dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides and quarterback Jaren Hall threw three touchdowns to put the Cougars back in the win column. 

Last year, the Utes finished their inaugural year in the Big 12 at 5-7 overall and 2-7 in the league, missing a bowl game for just the first time since 2013 (not including the COVID-19 year in 2020). 

Former BYU linebacker Kyle Whittingham returns to his alma mater in his 21st season as Utah's head coach, one of the longest-tenured coaches in the sport. Whittingham is 167-86 with the Utes.

Games Played: 5
Overall Series: 0-5
at BYU: 0-3
at Iowa State: 0-2
Neutral: 0-0
First game: 1968
Last game: 2023 (Iowa State won 45-13 in Provo)

The Cougars play at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25 in Ames, Iowa. 

BYU has never beaten the Cyclones in five total meetings. The last time the Cougars visited Ames was in 1974. 

The two schools met in 2023 in Provo and it was all Iowa State at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The Cyclones won 45-13 and outgained the Cougars 443 to 318. 

In 2024, Iowa State tied with BYU along with Arizona State and Colorado for first place in the Big 12 at 7-2 and won the tiebreaker against the Cougars to play in the conference championship against the Sun Devils. The Cyclones fell in the title game but went on to win the Pop Tarts Bowl against No. 13 Miami to finish 11-3 overall and No. 15 in the final polls. 

Head coach Matt Campbell, who has been at Iowa State since 2016, has led the Cyclones to bowls in seven of nine seasons and is 64-51 at Iowa State. Campbell came from Toledo where he led the Rockets to a 35-15 record in four years before heading to Iowa State. 

Games Played: 2
Overall Series: 1-1
at BYU: 1-0
at Texas Tech: 0-1
Neutral: 0-0
First game: 1940
Last game: 2023 (BYU won 27-14 in Provo)

Following its second bye of the season, BYU makes its first trip to Lubbock, Texas, since 1940 on Saturday, Nov. 8 to take on the Red Raiders. 

The two schools have only met twice, 1940's game in Texas and then in 2023 in Provo. The Cougars won the last matchup 27-14 in their first year in the Big 12. 

BYU intercepted the Red Raiders three times to fuel the victory in which the Cougars led the entire game. BYU quarterback Kedon Slovis threw two touchdowns and running back LJ Martin ran for 93 yards. 

Texas Tech went 8-5 last season and 6-3 in the Big 12 to tie for second place. The Red Raiders made their fourth-straight bowl appearance in 2024, suffering a loss to the SEC's Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl. 

Head coach Joey McGuire has led Texas Tech for three years, earning a 23-16 mark and returns for year four in 2025. 

Games Played: 12
Overall Series: 5-7-0
at BYU: 3-2-0
at TCU: 2-4-0
Neutral: 0-1-0
First game: 1987
Last game: 2023 (TCU won 44-11 in Fort Worth)

BYU and the TCU Horned Frogs match up at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15.

The two schools have met 12 times, including their years as Mountain West Conference foes from 2005-2010. TCU has beaten the Cougars five consecutive games. 

TCU hosted BYU in 2023 and won 44-11 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The Horned Frogs took control early and the Cougars struggled to keep up during their first Big 12 season. 

The two schools matched up in one of LaVell Edwards Stadium's wildest contests in 2005 when TCU outlasted BYU in a 51-50 overtime game. Both teams combined for 1,089 total yards, including 517 passing yards from Cougar quarterback John Beck. BYU led by 12 in the fourth quarter but surrendered 15 points to the Frogs in the final minutes before a BYU field goal sent the game to overtime. After a touchdown but a missed two-point conversion in overtime by the Cougars, TCU converted on their two-pointer to win it. 

Last season, TCU quietly put together a 9-4 season and a 6-3 mark in the Big 12 and received votes in the final national polls. The Frogs closed the season winning four in a row, including a dominant 34-3 victory in the New Mexico Bowl over Louisiana. 

Sonny Dykes returns for his fourth season at TCU and 15th overall as a head coach, with stops at Louisiana Tech, Cal and SMU before heading to Fort Worth. Dykes is 98-76 overall, with a Big 12 title and appearance in the College Football Playoff national championship game in 2022.

Games Played: 3
Overall Series: 3-0
at BYU: 2-0
at Cincinnati: 1-0
Neutral: 0-0
First game: 2015
Last game: 2023 (BYU won 35-27 in Provo)

The Cougars travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats on Saturday, Nov. 22 at Nippert Stadium. 

BYU got the victory in the last matchup of the two schools, earning the program's first league win as a member of the Big 12 Conference with a 35-27 win in Provo in 2023.

The Cougars got 223 passing yards and two touchdowns from quarterback Kedon Slovis and a two-touchdown performance from running back LJ Martin. Wideout Chase Roberts had 131 receiving yards and a score while cornerback Jakob Robinson posted a pick-six on defense. 

The two schools have only met three times previously, including the 2023 Big 12 matchup and a home-and-home series during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. BYU has won all three games, including the last visit to Cincinnati in 2016 during Kalani Sitake's first season as the head coach at BYU. 

The Bearcats posted a 5-7 record in 2024 in year two of the Big 12 after going 3-9 in its first year in 2023. 

Head coach Scott Satterfield returns for his third season with Cincinnati. Satterfield has also served as the head coach at Appalachian State and Louisville. He is a combined 84-64 over 12 seasons as a head coach, with an 8-16 mark at Cincinnati. 

Games Played: 4
Overall Series: 3-1
at BYU: 1-0
at UCF: 1-1
Neutral: 1-0
First game: 2011
Last game: 2024 (BYU won 37-24 in Orlando)

UCF visits Provo for the first time since 2011 in the regular-season finale on Saturday, Nov. 29. 

BYU traveled to Orlando last season and beat the Knights 37-24 at FBC Mortgage Stadium. The Cougars ran for 252 yards led by running back LJ Martin going for 101, while quarterback Jake Retzlaff passed for 228 yards and two touchdowns and added another score on the ground. 

UCF, who joined the Big 12 in 2023 with BYU, went 4-8 in year two of the league, with a 2-7 mark in conference play. The Knights lost eight of their final nine games after opening the year 3-0. 

In 2025 Scott Frost is back as the head coach at UCF for his second stint leading the Knights. Frost served as head coach from 2016-17 where he produced a perfect 13-0 season and Peach Bowl victory before departing for Nebraska from 2018-22. Frost is 35-38 as a head coach.