BYU announces Boise State date change, finalized 2017 football schedule

PROVO, Utah (March 2, 2017) — BYU and Boise State today announced the 2017 football game between the two schools has been moved from Saturday, Oct. 7, to Friday, Oct. 6, at LaVell Edwards Stadium and will be featured nationally on ESPN at 8:15 p.m. MT.

With this change, the dates for BYU’s 2017 football schedule have been finalized. Remaining television plans and kick times will be announced at a later date. 

The 2017 football schedule features a 13-game regular-season slate against schools from six conferences—Southeastern, Big Ten, Pac-12, American, Mountain West, Big Sky—and fellow independent UMass.  The schedule includes six home games, six road games and a neutral site contest in Houston between the Cougars and the LSU Tigers at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans and the site of the 2017 Super Bowl. The AdvoCare Texas Kickoff is the first football game scheduled to take place at NRG Stadium since former BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy and New England’s comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

Including LSU, BYU’s 2017 schedule includes three teams who finished last season in the top-25 rankings (No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 13 LSU, No. 23 Utah). Six Cougar opponents—LSU, Wisconsin, Mississippi State, Utah, Boise State and Hawai’i—earned bowl bids last year and five finished the year with bowl victories. Overall, opponents on BYU’s 2017 schedule represent 11 different states, including California, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin. 

The Cougars open the season at home on Saturday, Aug. 26, against Portland State in the first-ever meeting with the Vikings of the Big Sky Conference. The following week BYU travels to Houston for the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff with LSU of the SEC on Saturday, Sept. 2. The Cougars, who are 6-5 all-time against current members of the SEC, will be facing the Tigers for the first time.

In 2017, LSU enters its first full season under Ed Orgeron, who, after being named interim head coach during last season, guided LSU to a 6-2 record to finish 8-4 overall and ranked No. 13 in the nation. The Tigers are coming off a decisive 29-9 Citrus Bowl victory over then No. 13 Louisville and Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.

BYU then returns home to host back-to-back games at LaVell Edwards Stadium against in-state rival Utah and the Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten. The Cougars and Utes will meet in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 9 in the 92nd football matchup between the long-time rivals. Utah, with a 56-31-4 series advantage, escaped with a 20-19 win over BYU in Salt Lake City last year. The Utes went on to achieve a 9-4 season, 5-4 Pac-12 record and a victory at the Foster Farms Bowl.

Wisconsin, coming off a No. 9 national finish in 2016, makes its first trip to LaVell Edwards Stadium to face BYU on Saturday, Sept. 16. The Badgers and Cougars have split the prior two meetings played in Madison, with BYU earning a 28-3 victory in the inaugural matchup in 1980 before falling 27-17 at Camp Randall Stadium in 2013 to a nationally ranked Wisconsin squad. Last year the Badgers won the Big Ten West Division title with a 7-2 league mark on their way to an 11-3 overall record and a Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic victory.

Following a bye week, BYU finishes the month with a Friday night matchup at Utah State on Sept. 29. The Cougars and Aggies will meet for the 87th time when the two in-state schools face off in Maverik Stadium in Logan. BYU holds a 48-35-3 advantage in the series after its 28-10 victory in Provo last season.

The Cougars play again on Friday night (Oct. 6) the following week against another MW foe when BYU and Boise State meet in their featured LaVell Edwards Stadium matchup on ESPN.  Last year the then No. 14 Broncos came back to edge the Cougars 28-27 on the blue turf in Albertsons Stadium on their way to a 10-3 overall record and a tie for the MW Mountain Division title. Boise State leads the overall series 5-2, with BYU’s most recent victory coming in the last meeting in Provo, a 35-24 win guided by quarterback Tanner Mangum during his freshman season.

BYU goes back on the road for games at Mississippi State and East Carolina the next two weeks. The Cougars head to SEC country to face the Bulldogs on Saturday, Oct. 14, followed by a trip to Greenville, North Carolina, to meet the Pirates of the AAC on Saturday, Oct. 21.

BYU holds a 2-1 advantage over Mississippi State after a hard-fought 28-21 double-overtime victory in Provo last year over the eventual St. Petersburg Bowl Champions. BYU last played in Starkville in 2001, earning a 41-38 win. When the Cougars meet East Carolina the following week they will be making their first trip to North Carolina for a football contest. BYU won the only prior matchup with the Pirates, 45-38, in Provo in 2015.

After a return to Provo to face San Jose State on Saturday, Oct. 28, BYU goes back on the road for contests at Fresno State (Saturday, Nov. 4) and UNLV (Saturday, Nov. 11) (see update below for UNLV date change). BYU’s series with the Spartans began in 1946 with SJSU holding a 10-7 advantage overall after BYU’s 17-16 win at San Jose State in the last meeting in 2015. The Cougars and Bulldogs have split their 10 previous matchups after BYU’s 52-10 win in Provo in 2015. BYU and UNLV will meet for the 20th time, with the Cougars leading the series 16-3 following a 42-23 win in Provo in 2014. The last meeting in Las Vegas was as Mountain West opponents in 2009.

The Cougars conclude their home schedule vs. independent UMass on Saturday, Nov. 18. BYU won the inaugural contest with the Minutemen last season in Provo, 51-9. The Cougars conclude the regular season with a trip to the Islands to renew a series with Hawai’i on Saturday, Nov. 25. BYU’s game against the 2016 Hawai’i Bowl Champions will be the 30th meeting between the two former conference opponents. The Cougars last met the Warriors in 2012 with a win in Provo and hold a 21-8 advantage overall.

UPDATE (April 5, 2017) - Date change announced for the BYU at UNLV game along with television plans for four BYU road games. BYU at Utah State on Friday, Sept. 29, will be televised on the CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m. MT. BYU at Fresno State on Saturday, Nov. 4, will be televised on one of the ESPN Networks. The specfiic network and kick time will be announced at a later date. BYU at UNLV has been moved to Friday, Nov. 10, to be featured nationally on ESPN2 in a 7:30 p.m. PT start. BYU at Hawaii on Saturday, Nov. 25 will kick at 4 p.m. Hawaii Time on the CBS Sports Network.

UPDATE (May 25, 2017) - Television and time announced for Advocare Texas Kickoff between BYU and LSU on Sept. 2. The game will kick off at 8:30 p.m. CDT on ESPN. 

UPDATE (May 31, 2017) - Television and time announced for four BYU home games. BYU-Portland State on Aug. 26 will kick off at 1 p.m. MDT on ESPN; BYU-Utah on Sept. 9 will kick off at 8:15 p.m. MDT on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU; BYU-Wisconsin will kick off at 1:30 p.m. MDT on ABC or ESPN; and BYU-UMass on Nov. 18 will kick off at 1 p.m. MST on BYUtv and ESPN3. Specific network designations for the Utah and Wisconsin games will be announced following games on Sept. 2.