Former Notre Dame Quarterback Fuels USC Rivalry Revival Talk

Heading into the 2025 season, the USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish were in the final year of their long-standing scheduling agreement. The agreement dates back to 1926 – 100 years of being bitter rivals.

Then on the night of Oct. 18, 2025, the rivalry seemingly came to an end. The Fighting Irish won 34-24, extended their win streak to three games, and claimed an 8-2 record for the decade.

The 2026 season will mark the first time since 1946 and the COVID-19-shortened season that the Trojans will not play the Fighting Irish.

Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish Quarterback Speaks Out on Rivalry Pause

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Bryan Jackson (21) runs the ball in the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

When the news of the split first broke, former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn claimed that USC and Lincoln Riley were at fault during an appearance on Fox Sports Radio. The basis of Quinn’s argument was that Riley avoids competition.

“So now [Riley] tries to make it easier on himself by not playing one of the most storied rivalries … This isn't coming from a Notre Dame perspective, that's the truth,” Quinn said. “Whether Southern Cal people want to realize that or not, that game brought you to relevance.”

Then on Monday, Ryan Kartje of the LA Times reported that USC and Notre Dame are having “active discussions” of reviving the rivalry. If both parties can come to an agreement, their games will resume in the 2030 season.

Panelists Brady Quinn (left) and Mark Ingram speak during FOX's Big Noon Kickoff football pregame show at Texas Tech University, Saturday, November 9, 2024 at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At the same time, talks of expanding the College Football Playoff from 12 teams to 24 have picked up. If the new format, academic calendar and schedule can be agreed upon, the new CFP would be implemented in 2030 as well. This coincidence has Quinn suspicious of USC.

“It feels a bit odd that now we get all this momentum for a 24-team playoff that SC would think it's okay to reschedule that matchup now,” said Quinn on Wednesday’s Fox Sports Radio broadcast. “I wonder why that would be ... It seems like the dots are connecting now.”

According to Quinn, an expanded playoff would allow USC and Riley to drop a game against the Irish. Although the former quarterback is reveling in the trash talk, he makes a point about losing a game – a 24-team playoff format would make way for more three-to-four-loss teams.

The USC Trojans' Conference Schedule Compared to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

On USC’s side of the issue, the Big Ten is one of, if not the most, competitive conferences in the nation. USC and Riley have realized it doesn’t make sense to schedule Notre Dame in the midst of playing Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon when a playoff berth is on the line.

Riley has figured out that in the era of super conferences, controlling non-conference games is key to success, yet Quinn continues to scoff at USC’s strategies.

“Notre Dame, because they're independent, they still get five games a year from the ACC…Its not like they’re ducking folks,” said Quinn about the Irish’s upcoming schedule. “They brought back Michigan, they brought back Texas … Some other SEC opponents. Some of these schedules are done 10 years in advance.”

For now, Notre Dame leads the rivalry 51-37-5, and USC will be replacing Notre Dame with San Jose State this season (Aug. 29).

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