FOX’s ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ coming to Provo, but for No. 14 BYU, it’s business as usual

PROVO — BYU’s bye week couldn’t have come at a better time, and not just for the sake of injuries and a break centered around general conference for the university’s sponsoring institution, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Cougars (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) were one of several teams that did not play over the first weekend in October, when six of the 18 Associated Press Top 25 teams that played lost to an unranked opponent, which is the highest mark since six of 16 lost in the first week of October 2020, according to the AP.

That includes four teams previously rated in the AP’s top 11, led by No. 1 Alabama’s stunning 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt.

As a result, BYU moved up three spots to No. 14 in the AP poll and four spots to No. 15 in the Coaches Poll. And now, the Cougars are set to host the biggest game in years on the Provo campus.

BYU’s Week 6 tilt with Big 12 newcomers Arizona will be broadcast at 2 p.m. MDT on FOX — that’s the big one, the one that airs over-the-air and is available in any home with a television and a pair of rabbit ears — and the national broadcasting company is rolling out the red carpet.

Big Noon Kickoff — the studio show hosted by Rob Stone, Mark Ingram II, Matt Leinart, Urban Meyer and Brady Quinn — announced Sunday evening the popular pregame television show, FOX’s answer to ESPN’s College GameDay that debuted in 2019, will broadcast live from the LaVell Edwards Stadium west parking lot for the first time ever beginning at 8 a.m. MDT.

“We are excited to welcome FOX Big Noon Kickoff to Provo,” said BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe in a news release. “It’s a great opportunity for BYU to showcase our football program, the ROC, Cougar Nation and the incredible atmosphere of football game day at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

“On behalf of BYU, I would like to thank FOX Sports as well as Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and his staff for this tremendous opportunity. We look forward to an exciting day of football.”

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake is likewise “excited for the fans and everyone to see the excitement around BYU football.” But he also noted that his biggest job is to make Saturday’s atmosphere like any other game on the Cougars’ 2024 season, their second in the Big 12.

“Those can be distractions, but only if you allow them to be,” he said. “We’ve just got to get back to work. The weekend showed that college football is wild and crazy, which is exciting.”

The message has already gotten to his players.

KSL.com and other local media spoke with Sitake and a handful of players Monday, before a majority of team meetings and well before afternoon practice kicked off. But each of them had gotten the same message as their head coach: Saturday’s game is big, but the Cougars are right where they want to be.

Buoyed by a defense that ranks 20th nationally in yards per game (292.6) and 17th in scoring defense (15.80), BYU is one of just 12 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision that hasn’t taken a loss — and one of just two in the Big 12, alongside Iowa State.

“I don’t think there’s a challenge to stay humble with a big game like this, we are going to stay humble the whole season,” said wide receiver Keelan Marion, who was listed as a starter while Kody Epps is out for at least a week with an undisclosed injury. “We will continue to come to practice to work hard, lift hard, study hard and prepare hard to make sure we are doing all the right things to be ready on Saturday.

“Even with Big Noon coming to town,” he added, “we are going to stay focused and pretend like they’re not there.”

That doesn’t mean the Cougars don’t think it’s not cool to host a national production or put the most eyes on the university they represent — and themselves, as they try to set themselves up for future professional careers.

But it’s all about keeping the first things first.

“For me, it’s just another game,” said cornerback Marque Collins, a Weber State transfer. “Obviously, it’s a bigger game to the public and everybody else, but for us we know a good opponent is coming into our stadium. We’ve got to protect our stadium. That’s how I think everybody will look at it. It’s not too much about Big Noon, and it shouldn’t be. I think that’s more for the fans. It’s great recognition, obviously, but we’re not too worried about it.”

As last week showed, anybody can beat anybody in college football.

“I just thought about our team, and how anything can go for us,” Collins said. “I was still locked in during the bye, seeing how certain teams were upset and certain teams came out and won. It’s anybody’s day. I took this weekend as a pointer for us this upcoming week. “If you’re not ready for anybody to go, they’ll show up.”