USC, Notre Dame Resume Negotiations on Future of Rivalry Game

For the first time since 1926, USC and Notre Dame will not be going head-to-head in the annual rivalry game in the fall.

The historic rivalry came to an end when the programs’ contracts expired in 2025, and the teams failed to reach a new scheduling agreement. USC wanted to move the game up to Week 0 rather than play in a regular season finale. Historically, the rivalry game has happened in mid-to-late October at Notre Dame or at the end of the regular season at USC.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) celebrates after getting a first down in the first half of a NCAA football game against Southern California at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in South Bend.

Quickly after declining USC’s request to move the game up earlier in the season, Notre Dame announced it had filled the 2026 and 2027 schedule vacancies with two games against BYU.

USC, Notre Dame Resume Negotiations

USC and Notre Dame have reportedly resumed negotiations regarding the scheduling of the rivalry game, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, it is likely the teams still will not play each other until 2030.

“Six months after one of college football’s most storied rivalries stalled, USC and Notre Dame are in active discussions to resume play, The Times has learned.

“It’s not clear yet when the rivalry series will return or what the terms will be. 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. Given future scheduling agreements, it’s possible that the two schools still won’t meet again on a football field until the 2030 season,” Ryan Kartje of the wrote.