When Notre Dame replaced USC on the 2026 schedule with BYU, many around college football saw it as a smart move. If the Trojans would not continue one of the sport’s most historic rivalries, then swapping them for a team closer to making the College Football Playoff than USC felt like a strong resume builder. But noise coming out of Provo has raised a bigger question: just how healthy is Kalani Sitake’s BYU program?
Earlier this week, BYU announced a major restructuring of the athletic department, with the football program—BYU's biggest revenue-maker—splitting off from the rest of the university's sports. Instead of reporting directly to current athletic director Brian Santiago, Sitake will report to University VP Keith Vorkink.
The restructuring comes just one week before the Cougars are set to open a season they hope will finally get them to the CFP, and just seven weeks before Notre Dame travels to Provo. The question now is simple: will the Fighting Irish face a playoff contender, or a program in turmoil?
The almost entirely unprecedented reshuffling of who oversees what followed Sitake’s public complaints about what he perceived to be a lack of support from Santiago. Those allegations were striking considering he had just signed an extension with BYU last winter after nearly leaving for the Penn State job that Matt Campbell eventually landed as their Plan Z.
"We've been given the challenge of doing the most with the least."
— Cougar Sports Media (@CougSportsMedia) August 10, 2026
- BYU Football HC Kalani Sitake pic.twitter.com/5DO99a9X2v
Kalani Sitake’s clash with BYU leadership could benefit Notre Dame football in October
At the beginning of the month, Sitake went on a lengthy rant to a local radio station that boiled down to him feeling as though he was being asked to “do the most with the least.” That’s the kind of comment a coach doesn’t usually say three weeks ahead of the regular season starting, and Sitake’s frustration radiated through the broadcast. It apparently set the restructuring in motion.
So how does this affect Notre Dame and the game in October? Quite simply, the Cougars no longer look like a team on a stable footing. Fans hope the feud between Sitake and his bosses can be tamped down until after the season, but what if he still feels he isn't getting what he was promised?
At least some people think Sitake having a new overseer isn’t a fix so much as a band-aid. One source reportedly told On3’s Brett McMurphy that, eventually, it would all come down to BYU choosing Sitake or its AD.
There’s also the very human reaction that, since he got his way on this issue, Sitake can keep pushing. However, it’s a safe bet that the more he pushes, the messier the BYU football program will be.
If Notre Dame were playing the Cougars in early September, this whole issue likely wouldn’t be much more than a blip. But the Fighting Irish might be catching them at just the right spot in the season, especially if a frustrating loss or two hits Sitake’s squad ahead of that showdown.
When competing for a national title, a program should use every weakness an opponent has, and Notre Dame may have just been handed one heck of a gift.
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