Notre Dame opted out of playing BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl this month.
But the Fighting Irish opted in for a trip to Provo next year.
BYU will host Notre Dame at LaVell Edwards stadium in 2026 and visit South Bend in 2027.
The dates of the games are not yet released.
“These will be competitive football games, and will highlight Kalani Sitake and Marcus Freeman, two of the best leaders and coaches in college football,” BYU athletic director Brian Santiago said in a statement.
BYU last played Notre Dame in 2022 in Las Vegas for the Irish’s “Shamrock Series,” which takes Notre Dame around the country to play at neutral sites. BYU waited nearly a decade to play that game rather than cancel its Notre Dame series.
The Fighting Irish last came to Provo in 2004 when the Cougars won 20-17. Brady Quinn was Notre Dame’s quarterback that year.
This new series fills the gap in BYU’s schedule left by Cal when the Golden Bears canceled their home-and-home contract with the Cougars.
“As private, faith-based institutions, BYU and Notre Dame share many common values, and this series provides an exceptional opportunity to showcase two world-class universities,” Santiago said.
Scheduling the Irish represents a major victory for Santiago as BYU’s new athletic director. Notre Dame was long thought of as the white whale of BYU scheduling.
When the Cougars went independent, then-athletic director Tom Holmoe announced a six-game series with the Irish — signing three, two-game contracts.
But after BYU traveled to South Bend in 2013 for the first meeting, Notre Dame immediately canceled two of those contracts — backing out of four games. The return game in Provo scheduled for 2014 was also moved out of Utah, delayed nine years, and eventually played in Vegas.
Now in the Big 12, BYU’s become a more attractive opponent for Notre Dame. BYU also needed to schedule a Power Four team, including the Irish, to fulfill the Big 12’s obligation to play 10 power opponents.