BYU announces its 2016 football schedule

PROVO, Utah — BYU and Boise State today announced the 2016 football game between the two schools has been moved from Saturday, Oct. 22, to Thursday, Oct. 20. With this date change, the 2016 Cougar football schedule has been finalized. Television plans and kickoff times will be announced at a later date.

The 2016 football schedule features schools from eight conferences — SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, American, Mountain West, Mid-American, Big Sky — and fellow independent UMass. The schedule includes 10 FBS bowl teams from 2015 and an FCS playoff qualifier. Opponents on the 2016 schedule represent nine different states, including Arizona, Idaho, California, West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Mississippi, Massachusetts and Utah, and had a combined 90-51 (.638) record last year.

BYU’s six home and six away games include two road neutral site games at NFL stadiums. The Cougars open the season on Saturday, Sept. 3, against Arizona at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, home of the Arizona Cardinals. BYU and Arizona will be meeting for the 23rd time in a series that dates back to 1936. Later in the month, BYU will face West Virginia of the Big 12 Conference at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, home of the Washington Redskins. That contest, BYU’s fourth of the season, will take place on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Following the season opener with Arizona, the Cougars will play at rival Utah in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 10. The following week, BYU faces a third straight Pac-12 opponent in its home opener with UCLA at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17. The Cougars and Utes renew a longstanding annual series that began in 1922. BYU and UCLA will play for the 12th time since the first meeting between the two schools in 1983.

After facing West Virginia in its third road contest in the first four games, BYU returns home to host Toledo from the MAC in a Friday night matchup on Sept. 30.  Coming off a 10-2 season, the Rockets will meet the Cougars for the first time when they travel to Provo. BYU returns to the road the following week for another first-time meeting when it faces 2015 Big Ten champion Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. The Spartans are coming off a 12-2 season, a College Football Playoff berth and a No. 6 final ranking in 2015.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs of the SEC come to Provo the next week for a featured Friday night matchup at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The Oct. 14game will be the third time BYU and Mississippi State have played dating back to the inaugural matchup in Provo in 2000.  The Cougars finish the month of October the following Thursday in another nationally featured matchup, facing Boise State on Thursday, Oct. 20, at Albertsons Stadium. BYU defeated Boise State 35-24 last season in Provo. The two schools will play their seventh contest since 2003.

Following a bye week, BYU travels to face Cincinnati of the AAC on Saturday, Nov. 5. BYU won the inaugural meeting last year in Provo, 38-24. The Cougars then finish the regular season with three home games in November. Two teams make their first-ever visit to Provo with in-state foe Southern Utah on Saturday, Nov. 12, and UMass on Saturday, Nov. 19. BYU wraps up its 2016 regular season against Utah State on Saturday, Nov. 26. It will be the 86th meeting in a rivalry that dates back to 1922. The two schools also played in a season-ending contest last year in Logan, Utah, with BYU winning 51-28.

The Cougars have a contract to play in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl following the 2016 regular season. BYU will play in San Diego if bowl eligible and not selected to participate in the College Football Playoff or a New Year's Six bowl game.

UPDATE (April 25, 2016) - Television and time announced for BYU at Boise State football game on Thursday, Oct. 20. The game will be nationally featured on ESPN at 8:15 p.m. MT.

UPDATE (May 4, 2016) - Date, television and time announced for the 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. The game will be nationally featured on ESPN on Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. PT.

UPDATE (June 1, 2016) - Television and time announced for the BYU vs. Arizona game on Saturday, Sept. 3 and the BYU at Utah game on Saturday, Sept. 10. The Arizona game will be televised on Fox Sports 1 at 7:30 p.m. PT and the BYU at Utah game will be broadcast on FOX at 5:30 p.m. MT.

UPDATE (June 30, 2016) - Television and time announced for four games at BYU Football Media Day. BYU vs. UCLA on Sept. 17 will kick at 8:15  p.m. MT on ESPN or ESPN2. The Sept. 30 game vs. Toledo starts at 8:15 p.m. MT on ESPN2 and the Friday night matchup vs. Mississippi State on Oct. 14 is scheduled for an 8:15 p.m. MT start on ESPN. BYU's game against Southern Utah on Nov. 12 will start at 1 p.m. MT on BYUtv.

Date       Opponent

Sept. 3    vs. Arizona (at Phoenix Stadium) (Fox Sports 1, 7:30 p.m. PT)

Sept. 10  at Utah (FOX, 5:30 p.m. MT)

Sept. 17  UCLA (ESPN2, 8:15 p.m. MT)

Sept. 24  vs. West Virginia (at FedEx Field) (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Sept. 30  Toledo (Friday, ESPN2 8:15 p.m. MT)

Oct. 8      at Michigan State (ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Oct. 14    Mississippi State (Friday, ESPN, 8:15 p.m. MT)

Oct. 20    at Boise State (Thursday, ESPN, 8:15 p.m. MT)

Oct. 29    Bye

Nov. 5      at Cincinnati (CBS Sports Network, 3:30 p.m. ET)    

Nov. 12    Southern Utah (BYUtv & ESPN3, 1 p.m. MT)

Nov. 19    UMass (BYUtv & ESPN3, 12 p.m. MT)

Nov. 26    Utah State (ESPN2 or ESPNU, 8:15 p.m. MT)

Dec. 21    *San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl (Wednesday, 6 p.m. PT, ESPN)

*If bowl eligible and not selected to participate in the College Football Playoff or a New Year's Six bowl game