Notre Dame vs USC Is Back On, But Did The Trojans Get Their Way?

Notre Dame and USC will play each other in football again, but did this work out like both sides wanted?

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) runs the ball as Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts (0) defends in the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

College football received some terrific news this week as it's been announced that Notre Dame and USC will resume their rivalry starting in 2030.

On the surface, without even getting into any details of how we got here, this is a major win for the sport. Notre Dame vs USC should have never gone away and is one of the best rivalries in college football. This isn't just about competing football teams; it's about competing ways of life. This is a major victory for all involved. Now let's get into the details.

Why did this game go away, and how did it come back?

While everyone is thrilled this game is back, it's important to realize why it went away to begin with. Back when USC was preparing to join the BIG,

USC's leadership talked about needing to re-evaluate their scheduling model and where Notre Dame fits in it in an effort to be as viable for the CFP as possible. These statements put the wheels in motion for USC not to play this game.

While USC thought this was a wise way to better position itself for playoff contention moving forward, USC donors and football alums didn't care; they wanted to see USC and Notre Dame play.

This led to a situation where, before we even miss the first game of this series, the series is back starting in 2030.

Continuing the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football.#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/RZe0K4fyHq

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 3, 2026

Did Notre Dame cave to USC's demands?

The first game of the resumed series will be Labor Day weekend in LA in 2030, followed by a game in South Bend the same weekend in 2031. The games after that will be played in the first few weeks of the season, before USC begins conference play, and will be scheduled at a later date.

Notre Dame liked and preferred the old scheduling model, with home games being played in South Bend in mid-October and the games in LA being played the week of Thanksgiving to end the year.

USC had a strong preference to play this game, regardless of location, early in the year before BIG play starts. This has been a key point of contention.

In the end, USC got exactly what it wanted out of this debacle it created, and while I'm glad the rivalry is back, it's frustrating that the Trojans got the exact setup they wanted.

Now, from the Notre Dame end, with cowardly Indiana bowing out of an upcoming series scheduled for early in the year, the Irish had an opening to fill, and in that way, this move does make sense.

The bottom line is that despite all of the bickering, back and forth, and finger-pointing, college football sanity has prevailed, and one of the country's most historic rivalries is back.

And despite our differences, preferences, and USC getting everything it wanted, this is a win overall for everyone who loves college football.