Notre Dame and BYU are set to renew acquaintances on the gridiron, with a newly announced home-and-home series that adds a compelling wrinkle to the Irish’s future scheduling-and potentially signals a major shakeup in one of college football’s most storied rivalries.
The Fighting Irish will head to Provo in 2026, with the Cougars making the return trip to South Bend in 2027. It’s a high-profile non-conference matchup between two programs that were both knocking on the door of the College Football Playoff this season. But beyond the headlines of Notre Dame and BYU meeting again, there’s a bigger storyline brewing: this likely puts the brakes on the annual rivalry game between Notre Dame and USC-at least for the next two seasons.
That’s no small development. The Irish and Trojans have played every year since 1946, with one exception in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s one of the few true coast-to-coast rivalries in college football, steeped in tradition, Heisman moments, and national title implications. And while nothing has been officially confirmed, multiple national outlets are reporting that attempts to keep the series going have fallen short.
For now, it looks like the rivalry is on pause.
Notre Dame did get the last word-for now-beating USC 34-24 back on October 18 in South Bend. If that’s the final chapter for the foreseeable future, it was a fitting end: a hard-fought win in front of the home crowd, capping a season where the Irish came just shy of a playoff berth.
As for the BYU series, no official dates have been locked in yet. Historically, Notre Dame has wrapped its regular season with USC in late November, and the 2027 game was expected to land in mid-October. Whether the BYU matchups slot into similar calendar windows remains to be seen.
What we do know is this: both Notre Dame and BYU were the proverbial “first two out” of the CFP this year. The Irish finished 10-2, ranked No. 11, while BYU posted an 11-2 campaign, landing at No.
- There was even buzz that the two might meet in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on December 27, but that speculation was short-lived.
Notre Dame removed itself from bowl consideration shortly after being left out of the playoff field.
This won’t be the first time these two programs square off. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 7-2, with the last meeting coming in 2022 as part of the Shamrock Series in Las Vegas-a game the Irish won. That matchup showcased not only the talent on both sides but also the potential for this to become a more regular, high-stakes non-conference rivalry.
Looking ahead to 2026, Notre Dame’s schedule is already shaping up to be a tough one. The Irish are set to go on the road against Purdue, North Carolina, Syracuse, and now BYU.
That’s a solid mix of Power Five and Group of Five competition, with the trip to Provo standing out as a particularly tough test. LaVell Edwards Stadium is no easy place to play, especially late in the season when the altitude and crowd noise become real factors.
This scheduling move also speaks to Notre Dame’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a national schedule. With no conference title game to bolster their playoff résumé, the Irish have always had to build their case through marquee matchups. BYU fits that mold-a respected, independent-minded program with national reach and a history of punching above its weight.
So while fans may be disappointed to see the USC rivalry take a hiatus, the addition of BYU keeps Notre Dame’s schedule loaded with intrigue and postseason implications. And who knows? If both teams continue to hover near the top of the rankings, these games in 2026 and 2027 could end up carrying just as much weight as any traditional rivalry game.