Independence and Future Opponents

When BYU announced it was going independent in football, one of the driving forces was an opportunity for national exposure through a partnership with ESPN and BYU Broadcasting. The Cougars also sought better access to television games for its national fan base and the opportunity to schedule high-profile opponents. 

During football independence from 2011 to 2022, BYU will have faced 71 different teams from 35 different states, representing every FBS conference as well as Notre Dame and other fellow independent programs. The Cougars will have played 55 games against Power 5 conference opponents in that span and been matched up in 13 games in 10 different NFL stadiums. BYU will have traveled to 27 different states for games while totaling nearly 100,000 miles of travel (approx. 96,076 miles by end of 2022). 

BYU will transition to membership in the Big 12 Conference in 2023. Below is a year-by-year breakdown of the announced opponents (in no particular order) on future BYU football schedules: