USC and Notre Dame are set to keep one of college football’s most recognizable rivalries alive, just in a different spot on the calendar.
The Trojans announced Monday, Aug. 3, that the series will resume in 2030, with four games already lined up. USC and Notre Dame will meet at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the first week of the 2030 season.
A year later, USC will head to South Bend, Indiana, for the 2031 matchup. The games in 2032 and 2033 still don’t have specific dates, but USC said both will land in the first three weeks of the season.
USC athletic director Jen Cohen framed the extension as a meaningful step for a rivalry that has long mattered to both programs.
“USC’s historic rivalry with Notre Dame holds a special place in the history of college football, and we are happy to resume a series that means so much to the entire Trojan Family. It remains important for us to play this game early in the season, as it allows us to schedule competitively with our Big Ten peers and takes into account the health and best interests of our student-athletes and program. We are excited for our fans, and we look forward to more memorable matchups and unforgettable games between the Trojans and the Irish," Cohen said in the release.
The update comes after USC coach Lincoln Riley made it clear at Big Ten Media Days where he stood on the pause in the rivalry.
"Nothing has changed from my vantage point," Riley said. "We want to play the game, I want to play the game, we would be playing the game had some things come true that were said."
Those comments only added fuel to the back-and-forth between the programs, with both sides pointing fingers. Now, at least for 2030 and beyond, the matchup is back on the books.
USC will still have plenty of heavy lifting before then. Notre Dame is not on the 2026 schedule, but the Trojans do have a demanding slate that includes conference games against Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana.
The shift also changes the feel of the rivalry itself. Fans may lose the traditional late-season finish, but the move to an earlier window lines up with USC’s Big Ten schedule and the expanded playoff era.
For Riley and USC, that means a major test will arrive before conference play begins. The timing could matter for both teams’ résumés, but it also gives each side an early chance to see exactly where it stands.
Both Notre Dame and USC go into the 2026 season with College Football Playoff hopes, and if they meet before 2030, it would most likely have to happen in a CFP game.
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