Being a winning football team is both a blessing and a curse for BYU football, a program whose slightly-above average history and lack of a conference affiliation in recent years had typically shoved the Cougars to the 8:15 PM MT timeslot. So much so that late-night games at LaVell Edwards Stadium began to garner something of a cult reputation.
Some keen-eyed fans recognized that BYU football was far more successful when under the light of the moon than the midday sun, and the team was dubbed the "Vampire Cougs".
BYU fans embraced this immediately, stuffing the stadium as visiting fans were forced to overcome Kalani Sitake's squad at full-strength, under the benefit of a full-capacity crowd. Provo, Utah, was once an easy destination for ESPN's final time slot, but with two straight seasons of 11+ wins under their belt, it's become somewhat impossible to keep BYU football out of the prime time television spot. That's reflected in the first round of kickoff time reveals.
BYU football 2026 season kickoff times revealed
Week 1: Utah Tech, 9/5, 6:00 PM MT, ESPN+
Big shocker here, but BYU's tune-up battle against FCS Utah Tech hasn't exactly gathered national television buzz in week one. Though this late evening game will stretch into the late night, it's worth noting that a similar time frame saw BYU struggle against the FCS Southern Illinois in 2024.
Week 2: Arizona, 9/12, 1:30 PM MT, FOX
Opening Big 12 play a little early thanks to a mid-season meeting with Notre Dame, BYU will play this battle with Arizona in the light of day. The last time Fifita and the Wildcats played in Provo, they were demolished in a similar time frame with FOX's Big Noon Kickoff previewing the game that morning.
Week 3: at Colorado State, 9/19, 5:30 PM MT, CBS
No, it's not ideal to play a road game against a Mountain West team in the non-conference schedule, but on the bright side, the Cougars should be well-equipped to handle the Rams in what should be the biggest football game Fort Collins sees all season.
Week 5: Iowa State, 10/9, 8:15 PM MT, ESPN
That's what I'm talking about. With the Cyclones entering LaVell Edwards Stadium under the dark of night, BYU football should have their way with an ISU team expected to scrape the bottom of the Big 12 without head coach Matt Campbell. Vampire Cougs in full force.
Three of these four game times will not be in BYU's preferred window, but blaming the team's performance on the time of day is a weak excuse in a year that the Cougars will aim for a second chance at the Big 12 Conference Championship. No, we may not see the "Vampire Cougs" every weekend, but at least you can enjoy some beautiful late evenings Provo's autumn color.
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