Utah football will face Miami in 2027 season opener

Utah football is heading back to Sin City.

The Utes will face Miami at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the 2027 Vegas Kickoff Classic, the two schools announced Monday.

Brett McMurphy of Action Network was first to report the news.

The 2027 matchup will be Utah’s first-ever meeting with the five-time national champion Hurricanes.

The date and time of the contest have yet to be determined.

“This is a tremendous showcase for our football program and our university to open the 2027 season on a national stage in the Vegas Kickoff Classic,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement. “We are excited for this opportunity to match up against the Miami Hurricanes, and we extend our thanks to the Las Vegas Bowl and ESPN Events for the invitation. It is a testament to our program and our great fans to participate in this type of event, and when the time comes, we will paint Allegiant Stadium red once again.”

Utah has played at Allegiant Stadium three times before: Twice in Pac-12 Championship Games (2021-22) and in last year’s Las Vegas Bowl against Northwestern.

“One of the great things about college football is that there are still first-time matchups like this one to capture the attention of fans across the nation,” said John Saccenti, executive director of the Vegas Kickoff Classic. “We have a frequent visitor to our city in Utah playing a national brand like Miami for the first time ever at one of the world’s greatest football venues. The Battle of the ‘U’ — the ‘U’ of the west against the ‘U’ of the south facing each other in the sports and entertainment capital of the world — and we cannot wait.”

Miami finished 7-6 in 2023 under second-year head coach Mario Cristobal, who fell to the Utes at Allegiant Stadium in the 2021 Pac-12 title game while leading Oregon.