Provo, Utah – September 15, 2026 -- BYUtv is bringing back its documentary series "Big Stories" with 12 new episodes airing free before every BYU home and away football game throughout the 2026 season, streaming on the BYUtv app and BYUtv.org alongside each broadcast.
Each episode runs 7 to 10 minutes and reaches millions of households
The series airs on BYU's national TV network, which reaches a combined 70 million U.S. households, and focuses on people and communities connected to BYU's opponents rather than game analysis or depth charts.
Subjects span seven-time Pro Bowler Lance Briggs to twin NFL players Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin
The Sept. 12 episode traces Briggs' path from a difficult childhood in Sacramento to stardom at Arizona and the Chicago Bears, along with his Briggs4Kidz Foundation. An Oct. 17 episode follows Notre Dame's Chris Zorich, who once scavenged food from grocery store dumpsters on Chicago's south side and now runs a foundation combating food scarcity. An Oct. 24 episode profiles UCF's Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin, twin brothers who both played in the NFL after Shaquem had part of his arm amputated.
This season adds six new sports beyond football, including pickleball and equestrian
New episodes cover collegiate pickleball, equestrian, wrestling, baseball, basketball and soccer. A Sept. 5 episode features a 16-year-old concurrent enrollment student anchoring Utah Tech's No. 1 collegiate pickleball team. An Oct. 3 episode follows TCU equestrian athlete Sydney Feager's recovery after a car accident that left her hospitalized for weeks.
Stories include a shooting survivor turned firefighter and a coach's autism journey
The Sept. 19 episode profiles Colorado State's Zack Golditch, who survived the Aurora Theater Shooting and became a firefighter. The Nov. 21 episode follows Kansas baseball coach Dan Fitzgerald, who describes learning about his son Max's autism as the hardest and most rewarding journey of his life, a story that grew into the program's Autism Awareness Night.
The series has already won a national sports media award
A previous "Big Stories" episode about West Virginia's Kevin Pittsnogle won an SVG College Sports Media Award in the Outstanding Special Feature category. Dave Phillips Jr., BYUtv Head of Sports Broadcasting, said the series aims to spotlight the communities that host BYU each season. Kauri Black, Vice President of Broadcast and Emerging Platforms in the Big 12, said the series captures the people and traditions shaping each conference institution today.
The series is produced in-house by BYUtv and streams without subscriptions, in-app purchases or ads.