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SALT LAKE CITY — The unofficial "Battle of The U" has been set.
Utah football announced Monday a scheduled game against the University of Miami for Labor Day weekend in 2027 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as part of ESPN Events’ Vegas Kickoff Classic.
It will be the first-ever meeting for the two schools that consider themselves "The U."
"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. "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."
Details about the neutral-site game, including date, game time, and broadcast network, will be released at a later time. Utah already has a tentative agreement with Wyoming as part of nonconference play for the 2027 season, though an official date has yet to be scheduled.
Miami becomes one of several Power Four teams to play Utah in the coming years. Utah has previously scheduled home-and-home series with Arkansas (2026, 2029), Wisconsin (2028, 2033) and LSU (2031, 2032).
"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 and SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. "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."
The news comes a day before Utah is set to take part in its first Big 12 media days in Las Vegas, where head coach Kyle Whittingham and four players will preview the season at Allegiant Stadium from July 9-10.
