The USC-Notre Dame rivalry, one of college football’s most iconic matchups, is officially hitting pause - and Lincoln Riley isn’t sugarcoating his frustration.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Alamo Bowl, the USC head coach addressed the elephant in the room: why the Trojans and Fighting Irish won’t be squaring off in 2026. And according to Riley, it’s not because USC didn’t want the game.
“The fact is very, very clear,” Riley said. “Had Notre Dame lived up to their word and played us anytime, anywhere, we would be playing them the next two years.”
That’s as direct as it gets. Riley’s comments marked the most forceful public stance USC has taken since news broke last week that the rivalry would be on hold. While the two schools released a joint statement expressing mutual respect and a shared desire to renew the series eventually, Riley made it clear he believes Notre Dame backed out of an agreement in principle.
Let’s rewind a bit. With USC set to join the Big Ten, their future schedules are about to get a lot more complicated - more travel, more conference games, and less flexibility.
To keep the Notre Dame series alive, USC proposed moving the game earlier in the season, potentially even playing at a neutral site. That would’ve helped balance the logistics while preserving a rivalry that dates back nearly a century.
But Notre Dame didn’t go for it.
“They did not follow through on it,” Riley said. “Thus, we are not playing them the next couple years.”
The Irish, who operate as an independent in football, have more freedom when it comes to scheduling. And that’s where Riley’s frustration really comes through.
He pointed out that USC Athletic Director Jen Cohen went back to Notre Dame just a few weeks ago with a proposal to keep the series going. The Trojans, Riley said, took Notre Dame at their word - that they’d play “anytime, anywhere.”
That proposal was rejected. And almost immediately afterward, Notre Dame announced a two-year series with BYU.
“Five minutes after we got the call, it was announced they had scheduled another opponent,” Riley noted. “I’ll give them credit: That might be the fastest scheduling act in college football history.”
Hard to argue with the sarcasm there - it’s clear Riley felt blindsided.
This rivalry, known for the Jeweled Shillelagh trophy and decades of tradition, has only been interrupted four times since its inception in 1926 - once in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and three times during World War II. That’s it. So putting it on ice now, even temporarily, is no small thing.
USC and Notre Dame have faced off 93 times, with the Irish holding the all-time edge at 51-37-5. Riley got his first taste of the rivalry in 2022 and came away with a win.
But since then, Notre Dame has taken control, winning three straight, all by double digits - including a 34-24 victory in South Bend this season. That game, at least for now, will stand as the final chapter in this era of the rivalry.
Still, Riley isn’t closing the book just yet.
“We’re hopeful something can be worked out in the future,” he said. “That would be fantastic. We at SC would love for the game to continue, and we have no problem following through on our promises in the future.”
So while the next few seasons won’t feature one of college football’s most storied matchups, there’s still hope that USC and Notre Dame will find their way back to each other. For now, though, the rivalry is on hold - and Riley’s message is loud and clear: USC was ready. Notre Dame wasn’t.