Notre Dame, USC restarting talks about reviving legendary football rivalry

TL;DR

Notre Dame and USC are in discussions to revive their historic football rivalry after not meeting for the second time in 80 years. The disagreement centers on scheduling, with USC proposing an early season game and Notre Dame seeking to maintain the traditional schedule.

Key points

Notre Dame and USC have not met for the second time in 80 years
The rivalry ran continuously from 1946 through 2025
USC wants to move the game to early in the season
Notre Dame seeks to maintain the traditional schedule

Notre Dame Fighting IrishUSC Trojanscollege football

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and USC Trojans will not meet on the gridiron during the regular season for the second time in 80 years.

The storied college football rivalry ran continuously from 1946 through 2025, pausing only for the COVID season in 2020.

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Unfortunately, the schools could not agree about how the series should continue. USC, now a member of the Big Ten, wanted the annual game moved to early in the season. Notre Dame rejected that, seeking a long-term deal to keep the schedule the same.

Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish announced a series with the BYU Cougars. The Trojans will close their season against the crosstown rival UCLA Bruins.

But according to a new report, USC and Notre Dame haven’t given up on finding a way to get their rivalry back on track. On Monday, May 11, Los Angeles Times reporter Ryan Kartje published a story saying the schools have restarted negotiations.

“A person familiar with the discussions not authorized to talk about them publicly told The Times that Notre Dame is now willing to discuss playing the game earlier in the season, which had previously been a sticking point,” Kartje wrote. “Given future scheduling agreements, it’s possible that the two schools still won’t meet again on a football field until the 2030 season.”

Irish lead all-time series

The Notre Dame-USC series began in 1926. It paused for three years (1943-45) during World War II and in 2020. The Fighting Irish lead the all-time matchup 51-37-5, including three vacated victories.

Q&A

Why are Notre Dame and USC not playing each other in football?

Notre Dame and USC are not playing each other due to scheduling disagreements, with USC wanting to move the game to early in the season while Notre Dame prefers to keep the traditional schedule.

When did the Notre Dame vs. USC football rivalry start?

The Notre Dame vs. USC football rivalry began in 1946 and ran continuously until 2025, with only a pause during the COVID season in 2020.

What changes in conference affiliation affected the Notre Dame vs. USC rivalry?

USC's move to the Big Ten conference has influenced the scheduling discussions for the rivalry, as they are seeking to adjust the timing of the annual game.