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The annual football rivalry between USC and Notre Dame will come to a pause in 2026. The schools could not come to an agreement after discussions of continuing the series.
The final straw appears to be a College Football Playoff deal unique to the Fighting Irish. Postseason guarantees played a role in ending negotiations.
These two programs have squared off yearly dating back to 1926 with the exceptions of World War II and the 2020 COVID season. That’s amounted to a total of 95 meetings. Notre Dame leads the series, 53-37-5.
The Irish won the most recent matchup in 2025 to earn their biggest win of the season. The 34-24 victory gave them an eighth win over the Trojans across the last decade.
For now, that will stand as the last rivalry contest until the series is renewed.
Notre Dame won’t play USC in the ’26 or ’27 football seasons.
Instead, it’s scheduled a home and home with BYU. USC will find its own replacement, too.
Talks had been ongoing regarding the rivalry’s continuation. Neither side could agree to terms.
USC was reportedly not interested in securing a long-term deal. It also requested the game be moved to earlier in the year.
“USC is the only team in the Big Ten to play a nonconference road game after Week 4 in either of the past two seasons,” said Trojans AD Jennifer Cohen. “USC is also the only team to play a nonconference game after Week 4 in both seasons.”
It seemed the Irish were open to the scheduling change. An agreement was reportedly close. Another hiccup, however, ultimately killed the deal.
The College Football Playoff is to blame.
USC and Notre Dame were close to announcing a continuation of their rivalry earlier this season, a source told @latimes. USC was ready to compromise and play the ’26 game in November
But then USC learned of ND’s agreement w/ the CFP to have a guaranteed spot if in the top 12.
— Ryan Kartje (@RyanKartje) December 22, 2025
The College Football Playoff committee provided Notre Dame with a unique guarantee for future seasons. If ranked inside the Top 12, they would receive an automatic bid.
Had that gone into effect this year, the Irish would’ve secured the final postseason spot despite being ranked behind Miami.
Schools were not happy upon learning of the agreement, which could potentially impact their playoff fates. It is believed that some are conspiring against the Irish in the form of a scheduling boycott, which would impact future strengths of schedule.
USC looks at a scenario where it beats Notre Dame head-to-head, yet still watches the Irish get into the playoff field above them with a similar record – much like how it could’ve unfolded for the Hurricanes in 2025.
A loss in the rivalry negatively impacts the Trojans’ CFP shot as they still have a Big Ten gauntlet to complete after facing the Irish. A win may or may not be beneficial given the Notre Dame playoff deal.
In the end, USC didn’t think the pros outweighed the cons. For now, the series of off.