PROVO — The stakes keep getting bigger for undefeated BYU.

After a 6-0 start for the second straight season for the first time in program history, the 15th-ranked Cougars (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) will host an opponent ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time this season when arch rival and No. 23 Utah visits this Saturday.

And the Utes (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) won’t be alone.

For the second time in as many years, the Cougars’ Provo campus will host “Big Noon Kickoff,” the alternative pregame college football spectacular on FOX that launched in 2019 to compete with ESPN’s College GameDay.

After the ESPN production announced Sunday morning that the Worldwide Leader in Sports was headed to Athens, Georgia, for Saturday’s SEC clash between the Bulldogs and No. 4 Ole Miss, FOX unveiled its own plans to set up shop for the weekend in the Beehive State.

It will be the second appearance by Big Noon Kickoff, or BNK, in Utah in 2025 after the University of Utah hosted the early-morning pregame show on Sept. 20 for the Utes’ Big 12 opener against Texas Tech. BNK came to Provo last fall for BYU’s Big 12 home tilt against Arizona.

“We love showing up at new locations,” Stone told KSL.com of the group’s first visit to Provo at the time. “And you know, the story coming out of Provo this year is fantastic and underrated, just like the (Big 12) conference.

“We enjoy spreading the gospel, if you will, of college football to different spots that maybe aren’t getting the attention that they deserve. And clearly, BYU is one of those programs this season.”

A year later, the show that includes longtime host Rob Stone, former college stars Matt Leinart, Mark Ingram II and Brady Quinn, as well as former Utah coach Urban Meyer, has added to its own roster.

The show has brought aboard Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, the sometimes-polarizing, oftentimes combative media personality and Michigan super fan who signed a “comprehensive content deal” with the network in July. The deal includes Barstool personalities, including Portnoy, Dan “Big Cat” Katz from Pardon My Take, and others, appearing on FOX and Fox Sports 1 programming.

Portnoy said on social media that he “may not make (Big Noon Kickoff) next week,” noting his status as “questionable” after “something came up.”

Regardless of the pregame roster for Saturday’s broadcast, which begins at 8 a.m. MDT for a game scheduled to kick off on FOX at 6 p.m., the network will receive arguably the biggest game in the historic rivalry series in 16 years.

With a combined 11-1 overall record, BYU and Utah are both ranked during the rivalry tilt for the first time since 2009.

FOX has also assigned its top broadcasting duo of Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt to call Saturday’s game.

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