Notre Dame, USC Trojans Rivalry Ending? USC Athletic Director Uncertain Answer

The USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish have the longest intersectional college football rivalry; 2026 will be the 96th meeting of the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football. The winner gets year-long possession of the jeweled Shillelagh.

However, is the rivalry at risk? USC and Notre Dame have not scheduled games beyond the 2026 season and USC Athletic Director Jennifer Cohen gave an uncertain answer about the future.

Nov 26, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman meets with Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley followng the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"It's such an important series to our fans and both universities. I've said this before and I'll say it again: In an ideal world, we're going to keep playing each other," Cohen said to The Athletic.

"With that being said, the landscape has changed dramatically. We're now playing in a conference where we fly back and forth across the country every week, and College Football Playoff expansion and how you get access to the CFP and how things are seeded and selected. Those, to me, are important, unanswered questions," Cohen continued.

USC joined the Big Ten Conference in 2025, which adds more travel/distance for the Trojans. Possibly too, USC is weighing the pros and cons of playing Notre Dame and how it might affect its College Football Playoff rankings. With the potential of a CFP National Champion playing 16 games in a season, the Trojans could elect for an easier nonconference game instead of continuing the longstanding rivalry.

"So we remain in conversations with Notre Dame about the series," Cohen continued. "I think we're clear to each other (that) we're going to evaluate what's best, and it's my job to evaluate what's best for our student-athletes and our program."

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) reacts after losing the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Then No.5- Notre Dame beat USC, 49-35, in 2024 in South Bend.

The 2025 matchup is in Los Angeles and will feature new-USC GM Chad Bowden's first game against his former team in Notre Dame. The Trojans and Lincoln Riley hired Bowden from Notre Dame in January. Bowden was fresh off helping the Fighting Irish to a National Championship run and is a nationally renowned college football administrator who excels in Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deals, the transfer portal and high school recruiting.

USC offered Bowden a multi-year deal worth $1 million annually - a big raise from his reported Notre Dame salary of $270,000-$300,000 according to John Brice of Football Scoop.

USC and Notre Dame's history is rich, exemplified by the fun facts below.

USC and Notre Dame have combined to win 11 national titles (USC in 1928-31-32-39-62-67-72-74-78-2003-04 and Notre Dame in 1924-29-30-43-46-47-49-66-73-77-88).

Both schools have produced Heisman Trophy winners: USC has 8 (most of any college football program) and Notre Dame has 7. USC's Heisman winners are Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White, Marcus Allen, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Caleb Williams and Notre Dame's Angelo Bertelli, John Lujack, Leon Hart, John Lattner, Paul Hornung, John Huarte, Tim Brown.

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans former running back Reggie Bush attends the game against the LSU Tigers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC holds the record for most players (6) selected as the top pick of the NFL Draft, while Notre Dame has had 5 players drafted at the No. 1 spot.

Both schools are well-represented in the various halls of fame: USC has 46 inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame (including 35 players) and Notre Dame has 55 (including 49 players), and in the Pro Football Hall of Fame USC holds 18 members (including a record 14 players) and 14 from Notre Dame (13 players).