It all started back in 1926, but in 2026 it will come to a crashing halt — one of college football’s greatest rivalry matchups between Notre Dame and USC. The series is reportedly set to go on hiatus with no immediate return date.
Early fears of the rivalry coming to an end surfaced earlier this year, though there was hope that two of the sport’s biggest brands could come to a new agreement.
“Do I wanna play the game? Hell yeah, I want to play the game,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said back at Big Ten media days. “That’s one of the reasons I came. But also, my allegiance is to USC, and I’m going to do everything in my power to help USC.”
“It’s pretty black and white for me,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman told reporters back in May, according to the South Bend Tribune. “You want my opinion? I want to play them every single year. When? I don’t care. I don’t care when we play them — start of the season, middle of the season, end of the season. I don’t care.”
Neither coach will be getting their wish, however. And unlike past pauses caused by World War II or the global pandemic, this one stems from the current state of college football and the complications that come with it.
“Negotiations between Notre Dame and USC broke down over scheduling complications and CFP implications during the last 2–3 weeks after the programs were on the cusp of announcing an extension in late November,” Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported.
Notre Dame–USC Could Be Renewed Later On
The Fighting Irish and Trojans last met on October 18 in what was the 96th overall meeting between the two programs. Then-No. 13 Notre Dame defeated No. 20 USC, 34-24, in South Bend. It was the third straight win for the Irish. The Trojans have only two victories in their last 10 meetings, with the most recent coming in 2022 in Los Angeles.
Just because the series is officially canceled for now doesn’t mean the two schools aren’t working toward something in the future. According to Dellenger, discussions are ongoing about potentially restarting the rivalry as early as 2030.
Notre Dame already has nine games scheduled that season, leaving room for three more. Currently, the Irish are set to face Indiana, Alabama, Louisville, Boston College, Navy, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, and North Carolina. USC, meanwhile, does not yet have its future schedule set that far out.
Notre Dame Adds Big Ten Team to Schedule
Notre Dame is effectively exchanging Big Ten member USC for Big 12 program BYU, according to Dellenger. Instead of traveling to Los Angeles next season, the Irish will head to Provo to face the Cougars, with a return game scheduled for 2027 in South Bend.
What makes the move particularly interesting is that Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark recently called out Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua for his criticism of the ACC following the Irish being snubbed from the College Football Playoff.
“I think Pete’s behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said. “It’s been egregious going after Jim Phillips (ACC commissioner), when they saved Notre Dame during COVID. … The chair said that as Notre Dame and Miami got closer together, head-to-head would be a factor, OK?”
BYU also played a significant role in Notre Dame’s snubbing. After losing the Big 12 title game to Texas Tech, the Cougars were ranked No. 11 in the week before final selection, sandwiched between No. 12 Miami and No. 10 Notre Dame. That loss ultimately pushed the Hurricanes and Irish side by side, where the head-to-head result became the deciding factor — sending Miami in over Notre Dame.
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