BYU: Kalani Sitake says No.

Last year, BYU had a bye during the third week of the season, but folks didn't complain too much because the Cougars got another week off in early November before traveling to play No. 9 Texas Tech. This year, BYU has another early bye week — this week, actually — after having played only three games in 2026, but then the Cougars have to play for nine straight weeks, beginning Oct. 3 at TCU.

That would not appear to be optimal, but coach Kalani Sitake isn't concerned, he said in his weekly press briefing on Monday. "We will make it a competitive advantage for us," he said.

Obviously, that means the Cougars (1-0, 3-0) will get an early start on preparing for the Horned Frogs, who play at UCF on Saturday. MDT and be televised by either ESPN or ESPN2.

It will mark the first time in 21 years that BYU will play on the Saturday of the semiannual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "We prayed for him as a team and we prayed pregame and we prayed postgame, and we also prayed at the hotel before we left to go to our game.