Thursday, September 3, 2026. Kickoff 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Utah opens the season at Rice-Eccles Stadium against in-region FCS opponent Idaho, in the late Thursday window. It is the last game of opening night.
| Kickoff | 9:00 p.m. ET · 8:00 CT · 7:00 MT · 6:00 PT |
| TV | ESPNU |
| Streaming | ESPN App, Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling Orange |
| Venue | Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City |
A Regional Opener
Idaho and Utah are separated by a few hundred miles, and this is the kind of scheduling that used to be routine before conference realignment scattered everyone. Idaho is a Big Sky program that has been competitive at the FCS level, and the short trip means they arrive fresh.
Utah is coming off a season that ended without the results the program expected, and opens against an opponent it should handle comfortably. The value is in getting through it cleanly.
Why the Late Window
A 9 p.m. Eastern kickoff is 7 p.m. locally in Salt Lake City — a normal evening start for the home crowd, and simply late for anyone watching from the East. ESPNU takes the last slot on Thursday for exactly this reason.
How to Watch
ESPNU is a cable channel. Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and Sling Orange all carry it, and the ESPN App streams it for authenticated subscribers. No antenna option.
It shares the 9 p.m. Thursday window with UAB at Illinois on Big Ten Network.
The Bottom Line
Idaho at Utah kicks off 9:00 p.m. ET Thursday, September 3 on ESPNU from Rice-Eccles Stadium. It is the latest of the four Thursday games and requires a cable or streaming subscription that includes ESPNU.