The Los Angeles Times reports that the University of Notre Dame and the University of Southern California are in “active” discussions to resume their storied rivalry.
“It’s not clear yet when the rivalry series will return or what the terms will be,” LA Times reporter Ryan Kartje wrote on Monday. “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.”
However, Kartje reports that the rivalry would not resume before 2030.
Not only is the USC-Notre Dame rivalry one of the most intense in college sports, but it’s also one of the longest. The first meeting between the blueblood programs occurred in 1926, and the two have met 93 times since then.
Administrators at USC and Notre Dame failed to come to an agreement on continuing the rivalry game at the close of the 2025 season. With the sticking point, at least the most often stated public sticking point, being the fact that USC wants the game earlier in the season, while Notre Dame wants to stick with the traditional mid-October timeframe.
Without making specific reference to Notre Dame, USC Athletic Director Jen Cohen outlined the challenges she sees the Trojans facing in a late-season matchup against a tough non-conference opponent and how that impacts USC’s College Football Playoff (CFP) chances.
“Intentionally making our road to the CFP significantly more difficult than our Big Ten peers does not align with our goal to win championships,” she said.
One development that may or may not (but probably does) be related to the revelation that USC is open to renewing the rivalry is the recent support for expanding to a 24-team playoff.
With the recent vote of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the support of every conference except the SEC, doubling the current playoff field would greatly enhance USC’s chances of making the CFP.
However, with the eventual expansion to 24 still at least a way off, the short-term suspension of the rivalry (which Notre Dame has dominated in recent years) will give USC a greater opportunity to do what it has never done before… qualify for the College Football Playoff.