ESPN fumbles the Holy War by forcing Utah and BYU into a dreaded early-morning kickoff for fans
ESPN has scheduled the Utah-BYU “Holy War” for 10 a.m. local time on 7 November, prompting criticism that the rivalry and its College Football Playoff implications deserved a more fan-friendly slot. The article argues that the early start leaves supporters of both teams facing an unusually early arrival for a significant game.
The game is set for noon Eastern on ABC/ESPN, alongside Texas-Missouri, while several other high-profile match-ups fill the afternoon and evening. The writer says ESPN could instead have placed Utah-BYU in a late window, potentially after the primetime games, though acknowledges the network’s scheduling constraints and the Big 12’s lower selection priority.
In short
- Utah-BYU kicks off at 10 a.m. local time.
- The game has Big 12 and CFP implications.
- The writer argues it should have been scheduled later.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A rivalry game with playoff implications merits a time that lets more supporters attend and enjoy the build-up, especially when a 10 a.m. local start means an unusually early arrival. ESPN could have given Utah-BYU a later window, signalling the game’s importance and making it more accessible to fans.
The case against
ESPN has to fit multiple high-profile games into limited broadcast windows, and its scheduling choices may reflect the needs of conferences and match-ups with higher selection priority. A noon Eastern slot still gives Utah-BYU national coverage, while moving it later could displace other games or conflict with the network’s wider schedule.
Explained simply
Utah and Brigham Young University (BYU) are neighbouring universities in the western United States, and their American football teams have a long-running rivalry known as the “Holy War”. The name reflects the schools’ religious associations: BYU is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while the University of Utah is a public university.
The teams compete in the Big 12, a conference whose matches are broadcast across several networks. Television broadcasters choose kick-off times to fit their schedules, balancing audience demand, other games and conference agreements.
The rivalry draws strong interest from supporters, and the teams’ results may also affect their chances of reaching the College Football Playoff, the national championship competition. Kick-off timing therefore matters to fans travelling to the game as well as to viewers choosing between televised matches.