How the Notre Dame-BYU football series, which begins Oct. 17 in Provo, was set up in a matter of days

BYU's Brandon Ogletree, left, and Kyle Van Noy watch the Notre Dame offense as BYU and Notre Dame play Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012, in South Bend. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Most marquee nonconference college football games require months and months of negotiations before they can be set up, and are often scheduled years and years in advance.

But that wasn’t the case in the upcoming BYU-Notre Dame series, which was announced three days before Christmas last December and will begin on Oct. 17 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, somewhat surprisingly. School officials have a pretty good idea on the exact date of the 2027 game in South Bend, but have not publicly announced it.

In an exclusive interview with the Deseret News last week, BYU athletic director Brian Santiago publicly revealed for the first time how the agreement came about, how it required “incredible help and cooperation” from both the Big 12 and the ACC, and how “good fortune” smiled upon the Cougars and Irish because there were no other teams available for the open week each team has in 2027. “The process showed that relationships and good communication still matter, a lot,” Santiago said. Santiago also revealed that the series “isn’t just a one-hit wonder” and that the faith-based universities are already talking about matchups in other sports in the immediate future.

However, don’t get excited about more football games beyond 2027, Cougar fans; BYU’s annual Power Four nonconference game — at least one per year is mandated by the Big 12 — is already booked through 2033. “We both have said to each other, ‘Hey, this is just the start of something great for our two universities, well into the future, in multiple sports,’” Santiago said. “And that’s a mutual feeling between both of us.