For nearly 100 years, USC and Notre Dame have been one of college football's most enduring and iconic rivalries-an annual clash that’s weathered everything from coaching changes to conference shakeups. Only two global events have ever put it on hold: World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, for the first time in the modern era, that streak is coming to a pause.
According to reports, the Trojans and Fighting Irish were unable to finalize a deal to extend their series beyond 2025. That means the two storied programs won’t meet in 2026-and possibly not again until 2030. It’s a significant break in one of the sport’s most tradition-rich matchups, and it speaks volumes about the shifting landscape of college football scheduling in the age of realignment and expanding conferences.
Both schools had been working behind the scenes for months to keep the rivalry alive, but ultimately, they couldn’t reach an agreement. With the clock ticking and schedules needing to be filled, each program moved on to secure new opponents.
Notre Dame wasted no time lining up a replacement. The Irish announced a home-and-home series with BYU, set for 2026 and 2027.
They'll head to Provo in '26 and welcome the Cougars to South Bend the following year. It’s a solid matchup in its own right-two independent-turned-national brands squaring off-but it doesn’t carry the same historical weight as USC-Notre Dame.
As for the Trojans, their 2026 schedule still has one open slot. There’s some buzz about potentially rekindling their rivalry with Stanford, another casualty of the Pac-12’s collapse. But whether that matchup materializes in 2026 or gets pushed to 2027 remains to be seen.
This pause in the USC-Notre Dame rivalry is more than just a scheduling footnote-it’s a reflection of how college football is evolving. With conference realignment, playoff expansion, and TV contracts driving much of the decision-making, even the most sacred traditions are being reshaped.
For now, fans will have to wait a few years longer to see the Irish and Trojans line up across from each other. But given the history between these two, don’t expect the rivalry to stay dormant for long.