USC and Notre Dame are headed for an unusual break in a rivalry that has been a fixture for decades. The schools will not meet in 2026, marking the first time since 2020 that the Trojans and Fighting Irish will skip the game - and before that, the last interruption came during World War II.
The split comes after the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on future matchups following Notre Dame’s 34-24 win over USC in 2025. The issue, as reported last year by Yahoo!
Sports’ Ross Dellenger, centered on timing. USC wanted the game early in the season, fitting into the Trojans’ usual non-conference window.
Notre Dame preferred a later date, matching the way the Fighting Irish structure their schedule as an elite program with a non-typical, Non-P4 slate.
A joint release announcing the pause in the series said, “The rivalry between our two schools is one of the best in all of sport and we look forward to meeting in the future,”
Lincoln Riley addressed the situation Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days, and his message was straightforward: USC still wants the game. Asked for an update on the rivalry, Riley said, “Nothing's changed from my vantage point.
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. And so hopefully we get to that point.”
Notre Dame leads the all-time series 53-37-5.
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