The USC-Notre Dame football rivalry may not be paused for long.
USC and Notre Dame are in active discussions to resume their annual football rivalry, according to Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times. It is not clear when the game may return or what the terms would be, though Notre Dame is understood to be willing to play the game earlier in the season than before.
The Trojans and Fighting Irish have played annually nearly uninterrupted since 1926, but that streak will be broken starting in 2026. The major reason for the lack of an agreement was USC’s concern that a late-season loss to Notre Dame could negatively impact its College Football Playoff chances, while Notre Dame was, at that time, unwilling to play the game earlier in the season. Historically, the two sides have always played each other immediately after Thanksgiving.
The report cautions that it could still take several years for the rivalry to actually resume, and 2030 may be the earliest possible date. However, the fact that the sides are talking at all represents progress.
The fact that the rivalry paused at all was a source of great frustration for people associated with both schools. Those people still will not be happy with the interruption, but a brief pause is better than the rivalry ending completely.
