Notre Dame-USC football will celebrate a 100th anniversary in 2026, but then what?
The USC-Notre Dame football rivalry is one of the most storied in not just college football, but all of sports. However, could the future of the series be in jeopardy?
Earlier this week, Notre Dame announced an annual 12-game series with Clemson beginning in 2027. With the Trojans and Irish only having a contract through 2026, it raises the question: Could the future of college football’s greatest intersectional rivalry be in jeopardy?
With the exception of the abbreviated 2020 COVID season, the Trojans and Fighting Irish have met every year since World War II. However, for nearly all of that time, USC played a weaker conference schedule each year in the Pac-12. With the Trojans now in the Big Ten and playing conference games against Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State, there are questions within USC circles about whether it is still beneficial to play Notre Dame every year.
While the questions make sense from a competitive/making the CFP standpoint, from a tradition standpoint, it would be awful to see the USC-Notre Dame rivalry go. We have already lost several storied college football rivalries due to realignment (including USC’s rivalry with Stanford), but the Trojans and Irish would be by far the biggest series to be put on hiatus.
USC and Notre Dame are currently slated to meet on October 18 this fall in South Bend, and on November 28, 2026. Fans of both teams should make sure to enjoy those matchups, as we do not know what the future of the series holds beyond that.
Source link : https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2025/05/09/notre-dame-clemson-deal-questions-irish-football-usc/83513489007/
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Publish date : 2025-05-09 13:23:00
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