Utah Football Schedule 2026: Full Utes Slate, Dates, and Key Games

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Morgan Scalley’s first season leading his alma mater opens on a Thursday night. Utah plays three straight home non-conference games to start — Idaho, Arkansas, and Utah State — before opening Big 12 play at Iowa State. Seven home games at Rice-Eccles, the Holy War against BYU on Nov 7, and a Black Friday finale against West Virginia round out the slate.

Note the finale date: it’s Friday, Nov 27, not Saturday. Utah’s regular season closes on Black Friday at 7 p.m. MT on FOX.

2026 Team Schedule
Utah Football Schedule
Big 12 · Rice-Eccles Stadium · Morgan Scalley (1st year)
7
Home Games
11-2
2025 Record
Thu Sept 3
Opener vs Idaho
Nov 7
Circle It: BYU
Date Opponent Time (MT) / TV Result
Thu, Sept 3 vs Idaho 7:00 PM · ESPNU —
Sat, Sept 12 vs Arkansas 8:15 PM · ESPN —
Sat, Sept 19 vs Utah State 1:30 PM · FOX —
Sat, Sept 26 at Iowa State (Big 12 opener) TBA —
Sat, Oct 3 Bye Week — —
Sat, Oct 10 vs Kansas (Big 12 home opener) TBA —
Sat, Oct 17 at Colorado TBA —
Sat, Oct 24 vs Houston TBA —
Sat, Oct 31 at Cincinnati TBA —
Sat, Nov 7 vs BYU (Holy War) TBA —
Sat, Nov 14 at Arizona TBA —
Sat, Nov 21 at TCU TBA —
Fri, Nov 27 vs West Virginia (Black Friday) 7:00 PM · FOX —
Fri, Dec 4 Big 12 Championship (Arlington, TX) If qualified —
Times listed in Mountain. The remaining eight games get kickoff times and TV selections 12 or 6 days in advance.

Games That Will Decide Utah’s Season

Sept 12 vs Arkansas An SEC opponent at Rice-Eccles in an 8:15 p.m. ESPN window. Scalley’s first real test, and the best non-conference win available.
Sept 26 at Iowa State Utah’s Big 12 opener on the road, against a Cyclones team also breaking in a new head coach in Jimmy Rogers. A tricky spot to start league play.
Nov 7 vs BYU The Holy War at Rice-Eccles against a top-15 BYU team. The biggest home game of the year, and the one that will define the season locally regardless of record.
Nov 14 & 21 road trips Back-to-back trips to Arizona and TCU immediately after BYU. If Utah is in Big 12 title contention, this is where it gets tested.
Scalley Replaces a Legend
Morgan Scalley took over from Kyle Whittingham at the end of 2025. Whittingham is now the head coach at Michigan, and Scalley leads his alma mater into its third Big 12 season.
Coming Off 11-2
Utah finished 2025 at 11-2 with a six-game winning streak, and returns key pieces alongside a heavily worked transfer portal class.
A New Title Game Date
The Big 12 moved its championship to the Friday before the first Saturday in December — Dec 4 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

How the Schedule Sets Up

Three home games to open, including a Thursday night debut, gives Scalley the gentlest possible start — though Arkansas in Week 2 is a genuine measuring stick. Big 12 play begins on the road at Iowa State, and then the only bye arrives on Oct 3. October is manageable: Kansas at home, Colorado on the road, Houston at home, Cincinnati away. November is the month that matters — BYU at Rice-Eccles, then consecutive road trips to Arizona and TCU, then West Virginia on Black Friday. Utah has the roster and the home slate to be in the Big 12 title race; whether that translates further depends on the committee, and here’s how the College Football Playoff works under the 12-team format. Deeper conference scheduling is the trend across the NCAA FBS.

The Bottom Line

Seven home games, a Thursday night opener, Arkansas under the lights in September, the Holy War in November, and a Black Friday finale — Morgan Scalley’s first Utah schedule gives him room to settle in before a demanding close. Bookmark this page; times, networks, and results are updated throughout the season.