PROVO (ABC4) – A pair of college football powers with religious ties will meet in Sin City when the BYU Cougars and Notre Dame Fighting Irish meet at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in 2022.
The game, which is scheduled for Oct. 8 of next season and will be broadcast on national television, will be the ninth meeting between two schools, ironically placing a game between Brigham Young University, which is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, against Notre Dame, an institution with deep Catholic roots, in a location known for opulence and the availability of ‘sinful’ behavior.
Regardless of what else may happen in Vegas – after all, it’s said that it’ll stay in Vegas – scheduling a game against one of college football’s most storied programs in one of the nation’s newest and grandest football stadiums is cause for celebration, according to BYU Athletic Director Tom Holmoe.
“We are really excited about the opportunity to return to Allegiant Stadium and face Notre Dame,” said Tom Holmoe, BYU director of athletics in a press release. “This has been a process, with a lot of back-and-forth, to be able to find a return game in this series that would work for both sides. We feel very good about playing this game in Las Vegas, where Cougar Nation always shows out, and look forward to an incredible matchup and atmosphere.”
Both BYU and Notre Dame find themselves among the top teams in college football this season. The Cougars, with a record of 4-0, sit as 13th overall in the AP Top 25, with the Irish at ninth with a similar record.
BYU has already made one trip to Vegas this season, playing Arizona in the season opener at Allegiant Stadium, where the Cougars won 24-16 on Sept. 4.
The 2022 matchup will be the ninth ever between BYU and Notre Dame and the first to be played at a neutral site. The Irish hold a 6-2 record in the previous eight contests, including the last meeting in South Bend, Ind. in 2013. BYU last defeated Notre Dame in 2004 with a 20-17 victory in Provo.
