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Report: USC, Notre Dame in 'active discussions' to resume rivalry series

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko05/11/26nickkosko59

USC and Notre Dame are in active discussions to resume their storied rivalry on the football field, per Ryan Kartje of the LA Times. According to the report, Kartje said USC wanted to move the game earlier in the season while Notre Dame wanted it to stay the same on the calendar.

As of now, if the game does in fact return, it won’t be back for a few years. Kartje reported the game between USC and Notre Dame might not be back on the field until 2030.

The two sides were negotiating to extend the series from different perspectives in the modern game. USC had concerns about the late-season dates of the games, according to reports late last season. In particular, the Trojans were concerned with how the selection committee punishes late-season losses. A Week 0 matchup was also explored, but no solution was found.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley pointed his finger squarely at Notre Dame for pausing the series. At his press conference before the Alamo Bowl, Riley called out the Irish and said that the Trojans had a policy of anytime and anywhere for the game.

“I think everybody knows how I feel about the game,” Riley said. “I’ve said it multiple times. One of my first thoughts when I took the job at USC was getting to be a part of that rivalry. I have a deep respect for college football. Been a part of some great rivalries. Obviously, this is right there at the top. It’s pretty simple. We both worked for months to try and find a solution. Notre Dame was very vocal about the fact they would play us anytime, anywhere.”

Like any rivalry, the other side responded. Following the USC coach’s comments, Notre Dame leader Marcus Freeman simply kept between the lines and wanted the game to remain a mainstay.

“I don’t listen to a lot of noise,” Freeman said during his press conference. “Look, I’ve said this before, that rivalry is important for college football. I’m confident that we’ll get that rivalry back … “I’m a competitive individual, right? I want to go and play anytime, anywhere. But at the same token, it’s important that I make decisions that are best for the program. To move a game that we were pretty sure was going to be Week 12 to Week 0 isn’t what’s best for our program.”