The Notre Dame-USC Rivalry Is on Pause - And College Football Feels the Loss
One of college football’s most iconic rivalries has been sidelined - not by war, not by pandemic, but by the shifting tectonics of realignment and the relentless pull of television dollars. Notre Dame vs.
USC, a tradition that’s spanned nearly a century, is officially off the schedule. And while the programs may eventually cross paths again, for now, the rivalry that helped define fall Saturdays for generations is gone.
A Century of Tradition, Halted by Change
Since 1926, Notre Dame and USC have met nearly every year, missing only a handful of games due to global upheaval. Through coaching legends, national titles, and unforgettable moments, this rivalry endured - even thriving through eras when other series faded.
Every other year, the Irish would head west to Los Angeles in November, and the Trojans would trek to South Bend in October. It was rhythm.
It was ritual. It was college football at its finest.
Now, that rhythm has been broken.
USC’s move to the Big Ten, part of the broader collapse of the Pac-12, has made this series a casualty of the new college football order. With conference schedules expanding and playoff positioning becoming the top priority, marquee non-conference games like this one are increasingly viewed as expendable - even when they carry nearly 100 years of history.
Behind the Curtain: Why the Rivalry Fell Apart
While Notre Dame was reportedly willing to keep the series going, USC’s leadership seemed less committed. Head coach Lincoln Riley has voiced mixed feelings about the rivalry in the past - praising its tradition in one breath, questioning its place in the modern calendar in the next. USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen has backed her coach’s stance, and the program’s demands reportedly made it difficult for Notre Dame to keep the series alive.
Among those demands? A push to move the game to the beginning of the season - a request that, frankly, doesn’t align with how college football rivalries typically operate.
Rivalry games are built for late-season drama, not early September tune-ups. And while USC framed the shift as a scheduling necessity, it’s hard to ignore the optics: the Trojans walking away from a series they’ve struggled in over the past decade.
Recent History Favors the Irish
Notre Dame has dominated the rivalry in recent years. The Irish have taken three straight from the Trojans, winning by an average of more than 17 points per game.
They’ve claimed seven of the last eight and eight of the last 10, with most of those wins coming in convincing fashion. For a USC program trying to reestablish itself as a national contender, cutting ties with a consistently tough opponent may offer a clearer path to postseason play - especially in a Big Ten loaded with heavyweights.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame has already moved on, announcing a home-and-home series with BYU, a team that’s been in the playoff conversation in recent years. It’s a solid addition to the schedule, but let’s be clear: BYU isn’t USC. And while fans will welcome the matchup, it doesn’t carry the same emotional weight.
What’s Lost - And What Could Return
There’s still a sliver of hope. According to reports, the rivalry could be revived as early as 2030.
But that’s a long way off, and in college football’s current climate, nothing is guaranteed. The sport is evolving rapidly - and not always in ways that honor its traditions.
What’s lost here isn’t just a game. It’s a connection between two programs that helped shape college football’s national identity.
It’s the pageantry of South Bend in the fall and the glamour of the Coliseum under the lights. It’s the cross-country clash that brought together different coasts, different cultures, and a shared respect for greatness.
In the end, the Notre Dame-USC rivalry didn’t die of old age. It was pushed aside by priorities that value playoff positioning and media rights over history and heritage. And while the sport will go on - with thrilling matchups and new rivalries emerging - something special has been lost.
For now, all we can do is remember what this game meant. And hope that someday, it finds its way back.