Upcoming Utah Utes Football dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Picking your Rice-Eccles seat
The best seat for a Utah game is on a sideline between the 30-yard lines, in the middle rows rather than down front. For an afternoon kickoff, choose the west sideline, where the sun stays behind you. The stadium is compact and steep, so even upper rows look down on the field rather than across it.
If you want to spend less, the north end zone is the plain, value end. The south end zone costs more because it holds most of the premium seating. And if you would rather sit than stand, keep some distance from the MUSS, the student section.
Steep sidelines, a premium south end and a value north end
Rice-Eccles was nearly rebuilt from scratch in less than a year after the 1997 season, reopening on September 12, 1998, with a 45–22 win over Louisville. In 2002 the Winter Olympics staged both their opening and closing nights here, and it is expected to do so again in 2034. Football has been played on this site since 1927.
Sidelines
The middle rows inside the 30s show plays developing from snap to whistle. The first rows behind the benches are a weaker buy than they look, since benches, players and chain crews fill the foreground.
South end: the Ken Garff Red Zone
Finished in 2021, this project closed in the south end and concentrated the stadium's high-end products there, from suites and loges to club and terrace spots. It is the pick for comfort and amenities.
North end
The simpler end and the value play. You will see goal-line action up close; the far end of the field flattens out.
The MUSS and road fans
The student crowd, officially the Mighty Utah Student Section, is loud and stands all game. Visiting fans are scattered across resale seats, so check the seat map when you buy if their location matters to you.
Altitude, bright afternoons and cold November nights
The field runs north to south at 4,637 feet. As the afternoon goes on the sun drops toward the west, which puts it in the eyes of east-side fans and fans on the west sideline have it at their backs. At this elevation, early-season day games can feel hot and glaring, so sunglasses and sunscreen are worth packing for an east-side seat.
Late in the season the problem flips. November night games get cold fast once the sun goes down, and a warm layer matters more than which side you picked. Check the kickoff time before you choose.
The Holy War and Utah's other high-demand dates
BYU Cougars Football is the game everyone wants. The schools first met in 1896 and played almost every year from 1922 to 2013, and Utah leads the series 62–37–4 through 2025. Now that both play in the Big 12 (since 2024), an every-year meeting is expected to return. No Utah home game is harder to get into than BYU, and visiting fans take a large share of the resale supply.
- Colorado Buffaloes Football: the Rumble of the Rockies, renewed when both joined the Pac-12 in 2011 and now a Big 12 game.
- Utah State: the Battle of the Brothers, Utah's longest-running in-state series, dating to 1892, and now scheduled only now and then.
- Big 12 visitors: ranked opponents and longtime Pac-12 foes such as Arizona State Sun Devils Football and Arizona Wildcats Football, especially under the lights.
Early nonconference games against smaller programs are the easiest and least expensive way into Rice-Eccles.
Crimson Club priority and buying on resale
Utah sells season, single-game and student tickets. The Crimson Club, the department's donor organization, and season ticket holders get first claim on the best sideline seats, so those locations rarely reach the public. Students buy through their own MUSS allotment.
For the marquee dates, then, most seats come from the resale market. For BYU, ranked Big 12 visitors and late-season games with title stakes, prices tend to rise as kickoff gets closer and the forecast becomes clear. Early nonconference games often trade at the lowest levels of the season. Every Reserved Seat order is backed by a 100% guarantee.
Third Down Jump, Ute Thunder and gameday transit
- Third Down Jump: when the opponent faces third down, a student sprints up the aisles holding a sign, and the whole section raises three fingers and bounces. Most of the stadium joins in.
- Ute Thunder: a cannon built in 1904 booms after every Utah score, fired by Army ROTC cadets, a practice that started in 1968.
- The Blues Brothers break: as the second half is about to start, the band strikes up "I Can't Turn You Loose," and a veteran fan called Crazy Lady dances out front.
- The Moment of Loudness: at the break before the fourth quarter, the stadium pauses for Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, two Utes players who lost their lives, and for departed fans, then turns the volume all the way up. At night games, phone lights fill the stands.
Getting there and getting in
Parking near campus is tight on game days, and an outside company, linked from the athletics site, sells reserved tailgate spots. As of the 2026 season, Utah's gameday page says a football ticket gets you on UTA's TRAX light rail, buses and FrontRunner trains at no charge, and the stadium page lists a clear-bag policy requiring transparent bags within size limits. Transit deals and bag rules can change, so confirm both on the Utes football site before you go.
BCS Buster to Big 12: Utah's turning points
- 1892: the program plays its first season.
- 1964: a Liberty Bowl win over West Virginia, in the first major bowl game held indoors.
- 2005: as a Mountain West team, from a league with no automatic Bowl Championship Series (BCS) berth, Utah becomes the first such school to reach a BCS bowl and beats Pittsburgh 35–7 in the Fiesta Bowl. Quarterback Alex Smith goes first overall in that spring's NFL draft.
- 2009: beating Alabama 31–17 in the Sugar Bowl completes a 13–0 season and a No. 2 final AP ranking, the best finish in school history.
- 2011: Utah joins the Pac-12.
- 2021 and 2022: back-to-back Pac-12 titles, each followed by a trip to the Rose Bowl Game.
- 2024: the move to the Big 12 puts Utah back in a league with BYU.
Coaches and rosters change, so check Utah's official site for the current staff.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best side to sit on at Rice-Eccles Stadium?
For afternoon games, the west sideline, which has the sun behind it. Mid-level rows between the 30-yard lines give the best overall view.
What is the Ken Garff Red Zone?
It is the rebuilt south end zone at Rice-Eccles, opened in 2021. Most of the stadium's premium seating is there, including suites, loges, club and terrace areas.
What is the MUSS at Utah games?
The Mighty Utah Student Section, Utah's organized student crowd. It stands all game and leads traditions like the Third Down Jump, so sit farther along the sideline if you want a quieter seat.
Who leads the Utah–BYU series?
Utah leads 62–37–4 through the 2025 season. The teams first met in 1896 and are both in the Big 12 since 2024.
Is TRAX free for Utah football games?
For 2026, Utah says a football ticket covers TRAX, UTA buses and FrontRunner at no cost. Check with Utah Athletics or UTA before you rely on it.
How cold do Utah night games get?
The stadium sits at 4,637 feet, and late-season night games cool quickly after sunset. Bring a warm layer for any November kickoff after dark.