Byu-notre Dame Draws Record ESPN Audience for Gameday

WHO:

Deseret News - BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake was interviewed by Holly Rowe after BYU’s game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Newsweek - Steve Young, described as an NFL icon and BYU alumnus, was the guest picker on “College GameDay.”

Deseret News - The matchup featured the BYU Cougars and the No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

WHAT:

Deseret News - BYU upset Notre Dame; the game averaged 9.2 million viewers on ABC and peaked at 13.2 million, according to ESPN PR.

Deseret News - The BYU-Notre Dame audience of 9.2 million was the highest for a regular-season game featuring a Big 12 team since 2022.

Deseret News - The 2025 Big 12 championship game between BYU and Texas Tech drew 8.99 million viewers; 8.7 million watched BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl a few weeks later.

Deseret News - The “College GameDay” live broadcast in Provo drew 3.9 million viewers and ranked No. 3 among the most-watched regular-season episodes in the show’s history.

Deseret News - Only three of BYU’s 14 games in 2025 drew higher viewership than that “GameDay” broadcast.

Newsweek - Newsweek suggested the “College GameDay” audience might have been due to Provo’s air or Steve Young’s role as guest picker.

WHERE:

Deseret News - The football game took place at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah.

Deseret News - The “College GameDay” live broadcast was in Provo.

WHY:

Newsweek - The article speculated that Provo’s air or Steve Young’s guest-picker appearance may have contributed to the audience, adding, “Who knows?”

HOW:

Deseret News - ESPN PR provided the viewership figures for the BYU-Notre Dame game.

Deseret News - The article compared the game’s audience with viewership for BYU’s 2025 Big 12 championship game and Pop-Tarts Bowl.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 20:24 UTC)

BYU’s upset of No. 2 Notre Dame drew a huge television audience, averaging 9.2 million viewers on ABC and peaking at 13.2 million, according to ESPN PR. The game, played at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, was the most-watched regular-season matchup featuring a Big 12 team since 2022. Its audience topped the 8.99 million viewers for BYU’s Big 12 championship game against Texas Tech and the 8.7 million who watched BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl a few weeks later. Before kickoff, ESPN’s “College GameDay” broadcast from Provo drew 3.9 million viewers. That ranked third among the show’s most-watched regular-season episodes, and only three of BYU’s 14 games in 2025 attracted more viewers. BYU coach Kalani Sitake spoke with Holly Rowe after the game, while BYU alumnus and NFL icon Steve Young served as “GameDay’s” guest picker.