Idaho Football Secures Trio of ESPN Broadcasts
The University of Idaho announced that its football program will appear on three ESPN networks during the 2026 season, a rare broadcast commitment that underscores the Vandals’ rising national profile.
The season will open on August 28 when the Vandals travel to face Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, with the kickoff set for 8 p.m. Pacific time and the game carried live on ESPN. A week later, the team returns home for a Friday night clash with Montana State, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT and broadcast on the same network.
Later in the month, Idaho will host the Utah Utes at the Kibbie Dome, with the contest slated for September 3 at 6 p.m. PT and airing on ESPNU.
These broadcasts mark the most regular‑season games on a linear ESPN platform for the Vandals since 2009, and they represent the first Friday night home game at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome since 2010, as well as the first non‑Saturday home fixture since 2017.
The upcoming slate also ties into a broader trend of Big Sky Conference matchups being selected for nationwide viewership, with six such contests having earned national slots since 2023.