A 78 year rivalry comes to an end as USC and Notre Dame will not face each other going into 2026
Historic USC–Notre Dame football rivalry ends in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
One of college football’s most famous rivalries is coming to a stop. USC and Notre Dame will not play their annual football game in 2026, ending a tradition that has lasted nearly a century.
The two schools announced Monday that they could not reach an agreement to continue the rivalry. In a joint statement, USC and Notre Dame said they understand how important the matchup is to fans and college football, and that they will continue working to bring the game back in the future. However, no deal was reached for the 2026 season.
The main issue came down to scheduling. USC wanted to move the rivalry game to Week Zero, which is the weekend before the regular season officially begins. Playing early would give the Trojans an extra bye week later in the season, something USC values as it adjusts to a demanding Big Ten schedule that includes long travel and tough opponents.
USC Trojans vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Highlightshttps://t.co/tl0eUmD5dc
— USC Football News (@USCFootballNews) October 19, 2025
Notre Dame did not agree to that plan. According to reports, the Irish turned down USC’s Week Zero proposal last week, which caused negotiations to fall apart.
Another factor was Notre Dame’s situation with the College Football Playoff. Beginning in 2026, Notre Dame reportedly has an agreement that guarantees the team a playoff spot if it finishes ranked in the top 12. USC officials felt this gave Notre Dame a competitive advantage, especially since the Irish are not tied to a conference. USC was also concerned that losing a late-season rivalry game could hurt playoff chances more than an early-season loss.
Because of these concerns, USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen made Week Zero a requirement. When Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua rejected that idea, the rivalry was put on hold.
If the teams do not play again until at least 2030, it would mark the longest break in the rivalry’s history outside of World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic. Before now, USC and Notre Dame had played each other for 78 straight seasons. Their most recent meeting was in October, when Notre Dame defeated USC 34–24.
USC will now look for a new nonconference opponent to fill its 2026 schedule. The Trojans hope to play a home game in Week Zero at the Coliseum, possibly against a team that plays at Hawaii or overseas, which would allow USC to schedule an extra game.
Notre Dame moved quickly to replace USC, announcing a multiyear agreement with BYU.
The news upset many fans and former players. USC legend Keyshawn Johnson criticized the decision on social media, saying the rivalry means too much to be lost over scheduling.
For now, one of college football’s greatest traditions is on pause, leaving fans hoping the Trojans and Irish can find a way to meet again soon.
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