The Notre Dame-USC rivalry, one of college football’s most storied and enduring matchups, is officially hitting pause. After nearly a century of near-annual meetings-96 games dating back to 1924, with only four missed due to World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic-the Irish and Trojans won’t be squaring off again until at least 2028.
Instead, Notre Dame has filled the void with a home-and-home series against BYU, a fellow independent program with religious ties. The Irish and Cougars have met nine times, with Notre Dame winning seven, including the last four. It’s a respectable matchup, but let’s be honest-it doesn’t carry the same weight as the Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh.
So what happened? Just a few weeks ago, optimism surrounded the idea of extending the rivalry for at least two more seasons. But behind the scenes, the dynamic shifted-and fast.
At the heart of the fallout is a March 2024 memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Notre Dame and the College Football Playoff Committee. The agreement guarantees the Irish a playoff berth if they finish in the top 12 of the final rankings once the 12-team format kicks in starting in 2026.
If the field expands to 14, the Irish would need to be in the top 13. The MOU doesn’t apply if the playoff grows to 16 teams.
That kind of security is a big deal for an independent program like Notre Dame, which doesn’t have a conference title game to boost its résumé. Under this rule, the Irish would’ve made the playoff this season despite being ranked No. 11, ahead of No.
10 Miami. That’s the kind of edge that has ripple effects across the sport-and in this case, it may have been enough to derail the Notre Dame-USC talks.
According to multiple reports, USC was ready to keep the rivalry alive and had even been prepared to host Notre Dame at the Coliseum in 2026. But that was before Trojan officials became aware of the MOU. Once they learned about it-after it was leaked following Notre Dame’s exclusion from the current playoff field-the tone changed.
From USC’s perspective, the MOU gave Notre Dame a “material advantage.” The Trojans already viewed the Irish’s independent status and scheduling flexibility as a leg up in the playoff race. Add in a guaranteed playoff path, and it’s easy to see why USC might feel the scales were tipping too far.
In response, USC athletic director Jen Cohen reportedly altered the terms of the proposed extension, pushing again for the two teams to play in Week 0 in 2026. That demand didn’t sit well with Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua, who instead turned to BYU to fill the scheduling gap.
Now, it’s worth noting that some within the Big Ten-USC’s new conference-say all 18 member schools were fully aware of the MOU back in March and even supported it. But USC has pushed back on that, claiming they weren’t informed until much later. Whether that’s a misunderstanding or a convenient narrative is up for debate, but either way, the damage was done.
Lincoln Riley, USC’s head coach, hinted at this kind of crossroads months ago. Speaking at Big Ten media days, he acknowledged the tension between tradition and championship aspirations.
“If you get in a position where you gotta make a decision on what’s best for SC to help us win a national championship versus keeping [the rivalry], then you gotta look at it,” Riley said. “There’s been a lot of other teams that sacrificed rivalry games.”
And that’s the reality of the modern college football landscape. Realignment, playoff expansion, and strategic scheduling have turned tradition into a luxury, not a guarantee.
From a competitive standpoint, the swap isn’t a major downgrade for Notre Dame. BYU has quietly put together back-to-back 11-2 seasons and finished 17th and 12th in the final CFP rankings in 2024 and 2025.
USC, meanwhile, went 16-9 over that span, missing the rankings entirely last season and landing at No. 16 this year. Still, predictive metrics like ESPN’s Football Power Index have favored the Trojans in both seasons, suggesting USC may have been better than its record indicated.
But this isn’t just about rankings or résumés. This is about one of college football’s most iconic rivalries going dark.
The Notre Dame-USC series has delivered countless memorable moments, Heisman showdowns, and national title implications. It’s a game that transcends regions and conferences.
And now, it’s on ice.
The schools left the door open in a joint statement, calling the rivalry “one of the best in all of sport” and expressing hope that it will return. But for now, fans will have to wait-and hope that the next chapter of this historic feud isn’t too far down the road.