One of the most historic rivalries in college football is going on hiatus starting in the 2026-27 season. Notre Dame and USC officials failed to reach an agreement on extending their traditional series after months-long negotiations, putting the game on the backburner until at least 2028.
Next year would've been the 97th edition and the 79th consecutive meeting (excluding the 2020 COVID year), meaning this pause will be the first since a three-year gap for World War II. Both programs are now searching for replacement opponents, with the Fighting Irish already confirming 2025 Big 12 runner-up BYU for a home-and-home next season and in 2027.
The temporary (hopefully) cessation of competition between the two illustrious programs on the gridiron symbolizes the evolving nature of college football in the Playoff era. Multiple factors went into the spiking of the rivalry, but there are also several others that can revive it when the time is right.
Why the Notre Dame-USC rivalry is on pause
Notre Dame leads the all-time series 51-37-5 after taking the most recent meeting 34-24 back in October. USC has only won twice in the last 10 contests played, suggesting the lopsided nature of the rivalry may be an unspoken factor in halting play.
USC officials noted the typical late-season date for the games was disadvantageous given how the CFP selection committee tends to punish teams for losses that come in November and December rather than, say, September. (That second part is debatable if you ask the Irish about this year's bracket.)
Either way, USC's reasoning practically proves it doesn't want to keep losing to Notre Dame so that it can pursue a national championship with one fewer road block. Qualifying for the CFP has become so important that a massive program is willing to bypass one of its highest-quality opponents to avoid a potential "good loss" in October or November.
Why the Notre Dame-USC rivalry will return (eventually)
USC is now in the Big Ten and has struggled to climb the conference standings like former Pac-12 neighbor Oregon has in just two years of participation. Wiping Notre Dame from its schedule means it can now add another FCS or Group of Five opponent to shore up an extra win on its non-conference resume. But that will only take the Trojans so far.
In addition, Notre Dame has built-in immunity as an independent moving forward in the CFP. Despite a controversial exclusion this year, the Irish are guaranteed a berth in the bracket if they finish the season in the top 12 moving forward. With a schedule that will include at least two Big Ten schools, Stanford, Clemson (for the next decade) and Navy, the Irish would need to really implode to not have double-digit wins every year and a high ranking to match. USC is at the disadvantage (again) when it comes to the CFP picture.
If Notre Dame really wanted to spite USC and further solidify its chances to make the Playoff, it could join the Big Ten in football. That would almost guarantee a protected rivalry with the Trojans and one of the highest-quality schedules in the sport.
Officials from both schools say the series will tentatively restart in 2030. By that time, if USC hasn't drastically improved its CFP prospects then Notre Dame will have all the leverage to welcome back its beloved nemesis.