A 1:30 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 12 in Provo will be a hot one, and the fact that it’s also the Big 12 opener between BYU and Arizona could turn this early-season showdown into a scorcher. Fox television is banking on it.
The fact that the Cougars and Wildcats clashed into double-overtime last year in Tucson, along with the intrigue of quarterback issues for defending champion Texas Tech, makes this the kind of game that can set the tone and temperature for a feisty conference season ahead.
BYU is fresh off a 12-2 season and No. 11 final AP ranking that included a long-term contract extension for head coach Kalani Sitake. After winning nine games for only the eighth time in program history, Arizona (9-4) also rewarded Brent Brennan with an extension.
Sitake and Brennan are friends and both have rosters filled with fighters. Everybody will know the magnitude of the moment. Tapping into some of the brightest minds in music reveals a treasure trove of potential theme songs for a game that will again marry heat with high stakes.
‘Get It Hot’ — AC/DC
This showdown features two of the hottest quarterbacks in the Big 12 — BYU’s Bear Bachmeier and Arizona’s Noah Fifita. Bachmeier won honors as the 2025 Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Fifita, the 2023 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, has 8,918 career passing yards and 70 touchdowns.
‘Hot in the City’ — Billy Idol
Provo’s average temperature on the second Saturday in September is around 80 degrees. Adding to Arizona’s discomfort will be the altitude and an added fact that school will be in session and the BYU student section will be fully engaged.
‘The Heat Is On’ — Glenn Frey
BYU is expected to have a top-15 preseason ranking and with 12 teams making the College Football Playoff, this is a significant opportunity for the Cougars to maintain their national relevance. There is no better way for the Wildcats to make national noise by upsetting BYU in Provo.
‘Some Like It Hot’ — Power Station
High expectations are welcomed by both programs. In three short years, the Cougars have grown from a forgotten independent into a power conference contender. Likewise, the Wildcats, who live in the desert heat, have a chance to reach the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2014-2015.
‘Too Hot’ — Kool and the Gang
The Cougars are no stranger to hot afternoons, and no one was hotter than Steve Sarkisian during another roaster at LaVell Edwards Stadium. On a late August Saturday against No. 13 Texas A&M with temperatures in the 90s, Sarkisian passed for 536 yards and six touchdowns to lead BYU to a 41-37 upset in the 1996 Pigskin Classic.
‘Hot Blooded’ — Foreigner
BYU’s defense turned the tide against Arizona during the Wildcats last matinee in Provo in 2024. Fifita’s blood boiled after throwing interceptions to Tanner Wall, Jakob Robinson and Isaiah Glasker. Wall’s grab prevented a touchdown, Robinson’s pick set up a touchdown and Glasker returned his interception 21 yards for a touchdown in BYU’s 41-19 victory.
‘Hot Stuff’ — Donna Summer
Last year in Tucson, BYU junior running back LJ Martin blistered the Wildcats for 162 yards rushing and a 28-yard touchdown. Arizona entered the game ranked No. 25 nationally, allowing 97.6 rushing yards per game. Martin went on to win honors as Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
‘Heat of the Moment’ — Asia
Despite Martin’s production, Arizona held a 24-14 lead with just over four minutes remaining, but the heat of the moment was too great for the home team. BYU turned up the intensity and the Wildcats wilted down the stretch to lose 33-27 in double-overtime.
‘I’m on Fire’ — Bruce Springsteen
Bachmeier burned Arizona’s defense on a 2-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds remaining to force overtime. He scored a second touchdown in the second overtime — a 7-yard scamper culminating with a dive over the goal line to keep the Cougars (6-0) undefeated.
‘Long Hot Summer’ — Keith Urban
This week’s release of starting times and TV slots for the first three weeks of the season makes football feel closer than it is. But as Keith Urban sings, “It’s gonna be a long hot summer” before we get there.
No matter the genre of music, hot is hot. Sept. 12 in Provo, with BYU and Arizona kicking off the Big 12 season at 1:30 in the afternoon, is sure to be a hot one — and also a really cool way for the winner to set the temperature for the fall.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.