The Big 12 Conference has acknowledged that Notre Dame should have received one more offensive play in its 28-24 loss to BYU on Saturday, October 17, 2026, after replay officials incorrectly allowed the game to end with one second remaining.
The error occurred after Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr threw an incomplete pass toward Jaden Greathouse in the end zone at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. Officials declared the game over, securing a dramatic victory for No. 8 BYU against No. 2 Notre Dame.
In a statement reported by ESPN, the Big 12 confirmed that time remained when the football hit the ground. The conference said the replay officiating crew had incorrectly cleared the final play and announced a review of its end-of-game procedures.
Despite the acknowledgment, BYU's victory remains the official result.
What Happened on Notre Dame's Final Play?
Notre Dame entered the closing moments needing a touchdown to overcome BYU's four-point lead. The Fighting Irish had advanced inside the Cougars' 10-yard line, setting up a first-and-goal opportunity with the game on the line.
Carr targeted Greathouse in the end zone, but the pass fell incomplete. The officiating crew ruled that time had expired, bringing the contest to an apparent conclusion.
However, subsequent examination showed that the ball touched the ground while one second remained on the clock. Because an incomplete forward pass stops the game clock, Notre Dame should have retained possession for another snap on second-and-goal.
According to KSL Sports' account of the conference statement, the Big 12 determined that the replay crew had incorrectly cleared the play despite the remaining time.
The distinction is consequential. Notre Dame was not guaranteed a touchdown, but the officiating error eliminated an opportunity the Fighting Irish should have received under the game-clock rules.
The official BYU game record continues to show a 28-24 Cougars victory, improving BYU to 6-0 while leaving Notre Dame at 6-1.
Why the Officiating Error Does Not Reverse BYU's Win
The Big 12's acknowledgment raises an immediate question: If officials ended the game incorrectly, why does the result still stand?
NCAA football rules draw a distinction between correcting an officiating decision during a game and challenging a result after the referee has declared the contest finished.
In a September 16, 2026 statement on end-of-game timing protocols, the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee explained that Rule 1-1-3-b makes the score final once the referee declares the game ended. The committee also cited Rule 5-2-9, which limits when rules decisions can be changed.
That clarification followed a separate timing controversy involving Michigan and Western Michigan earlier in September. The NCAA acknowledged procedural failures in that contest but determined that the governing rules did not permit its outcome to be overturned.
The NCAA also clarified that replay officials should use the embedded game clock in the program feed when determining timing adjustments. If that clock is unavailable, they should rely on the broadcast's displayed game-clock graphic.
Those procedures make the Notre Dame-BYU mistake particularly significant: The disputed issue was not whether Notre Dame would have scored, but whether replay officials correctly identified the time remaining before allowing the contest to conclude.
The conference's acknowledgment does not itself invalidate the final score or establish a basis for changing the winner.
The Separate Pass-Interference Controversy
The missed second was not the only disputed aspect of Notre Dame's final offensive play.
BYU cornerback Evan Johnson was defending Greathouse as Carr's pass approached the end zone. Contact between the players prompted debate over whether officials should have called defensive pass interference.
ABC rules analyst Matt Austin indicated during the broadcast that he would have supported a defensive pass-interference penalty because of the contact.
No penalty was called, however, and the Big 12's acknowledged mistake concerned the game clock rather than an official determination that pass interference occurred.
These are separate officiating questions. A possible missed penalty involves judgment about contact between players, while the timing error concerns whether an incomplete pass ended with time remaining.
Neither controversy establishes that Notre Dame would necessarily have scored on an additional play.
What Happens Next for the Big 12?
The Big 12 has committed to a complete review of its end-of-game officiating process ahead of the following week's games.
The review creates an opportunity to examine how the replay crew evaluated the final incomplete pass, why the remaining second was not restored and whether existing procedures were followed correctly.
As of October 18, no specific disciplinary action against the officials or completed procedural change had been confirmed in the reviewed reporting.
The result carries competitive significance for both programs. BYU secured a victory over the nation's second-ranked team, while Notre Dame suffered its first defeat of the season in a game whose final sequence is now the subject of an official conference acknowledgment.
Any potential College Football Playoff implications remain uncertain and should not be confused with an announced change to the game's result.
For now, the central facts remain clear: BYU's 28-24 win stands in the official record, the Big 12 says Notre Dame should have had one more play, and the conference has committed to examining the officiating process that allowed the mistake to occur.
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