Lincoln Riley Speaks Out on USC-Notre Dame Rivalry Pause: “They Didn’t Follow Through”
The USC-Notre Dame rivalry is one of college football’s crown jewels. It’s a series steeped in nearly a century of tradition, passion, and iconic moments.
But for the first time since 1945-outside of the pandemic-impacted 2020 season-this historic matchup won’t be played in back-to-back years. And Lincoln Riley isn’t mincing words about why.
Speaking ahead of USC’s appearance in the Alamo Bowl, Riley addressed the elephant in the room: why the Trojans and Fighting Irish won’t face off in 2024 or 2025. According to Riley, the breakdown didn’t come from USC’s end.
“I think everybody knows how I feel about the game,” Riley said. “One of my first thoughts when I took the job at USC was getting to be a part of that rivalry. I’ve been part of some great ones, and this one’s right at the top.”
Riley made it clear that USC worked for months to keep the series alive, even after the program’s move to the Big Ten complicated scheduling. He said USC Athletic Director Jen Cohen recently went back to Notre Dame with a proposal to keep the rivalry going for the next two seasons. According to Riley, Notre Dame turned it down-and then almost immediately filled the slot with another opponent.
“We took Notre Dame at their word that they would play us anytime, anywhere,” Riley said. “That proposal was rejected.
Not only was it rejected, five minutes after we got the call, it was announced they had scheduled another opponent. I’ll give them credit-that might be the fastest scheduling act in college football history.”
The rivalry, which began in 1926, has been a constant in the sport’s calendar. Traditionally, USC hosts in late November, while Notre Dame hosts in mid-October.
But with USC now in the Big Ten and facing a nine-game conference slate that includes coast-to-coast travel, the Trojans reportedly pitched moving the game earlier in the season to ease the burden. Notre Dame, which remains an independent, wanted to keep the traditional dates.
Neither side budged. And the result? A two-year pause in one of the sport’s most storied rivalries.
Riley didn’t shy away from pointing out the contradiction between Notre Dame’s public stance and their actual decision.
“Had Notre Dame lived up to their word and played us anytime, anywhere, we would be playing them the next two years,” Riley said. “They did not follow through on it, thus we are not playing them.”
Lincoln Riley’s full comment on the #USC-Notre Dame rivalry game ending:
— Chris Treviño (@ChrisNTrevino) December 29, 2025
“Had Notre Dame lived up to their word and played us anytime, anywhere we’d be playing them the next two years.” @ThePeristyle pic.twitter.com/bhSc94WfYI
There’s no denying that USC’s move to the Big Ten has changed the calculus. The Trojans now face a grueling schedule that includes trips to places like Rutgers, Penn State, and Michigan in the heart of conference play.
Trying to squeeze in a marquee non-conference game against Notre Dame-especially in October or November-adds another layer of difficulty. USC sought flexibility.
Notre Dame, according to Riley, wasn’t willing to meet them halfway.
This isn’t the first time a non-conference rivalry has had to shift to survive. The Apple Cup, Cy-Hawk Trophy, Backyard Brawl, and others have found new homes earlier in the season. But in this case, tradition held firm-and the game was lost.
Despite the frustration, Riley isn’t closing the door on a return.
“We’re hopeful something can be worked out in the future-that would be fantastic,” he said. “We at SC would love for the game to continue, and we have no problem following through on our promises in the future.”
For now, fans on both sides will have to live without one of college football’s most iconic matchups. Whether this is just a temporary pause or the beginning of a longer absence remains to be seen.
But make no mistake-this wasn’t a mutual drifting apart. According to Riley, USC came to the table ready to keep the rivalry alive.
Notre Dame walked away.