Last October, BYU athletic director Brian Santiago was working with a scheduling broker to find nonconference games for the Cougars. BYU was likely to lose a two-game series with California after the ACC moved to nine conference games, leaving the program searching for a power conference opponent. "Everyone in the world of college football knows filling a game a year out is super difficult," Santiago said.
"We're scheduled out for years to come so we were going through a little schedule model." Then, someone brought up Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish had a spot open as their rivalry game against USC remained in limbo, but chances of getting the Golden Domers on the schedule on such short notice seemed like a longshot. Still, Santiago was intrigued.
Santiago picked up his phone and typed a message to Ryan Sweeney, a Notre Dame grad and partner of BYU booster Ryan Smith: Can you connect me with Pete? The next day, Santiago was on the phone with Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua. Both programs were in the middle of the College Football Playoff race and were working through their own scheduling complications.
It was a cordial call, but Notre Dame felt confident it could resolve issues with USC. Two months later, BYU and Notre Dame were both left out of the College Football Playoff. The pair were on track to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl before the Irish suddenly pulled out.
As national backlash mounted, Santiago sent a message to Bevacqua giving his full support to Notre Dame for making the right decision for itself. Soon, Santiago got a call. Since the days of LaVell Edwards, BYU has had a special affinity for Notre Dame.
From the earliest days of college football, Notre Dame has stood as a unique force. The small Catholic college in South Bend, Indiana, recognized the transformational power of sports faster than almost anyone else. Under Knute Rockne, they barnstormed the country playing any school that would have them, establishing themselves as an unmatched national brand with their iconic golden helmets.
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