One of college football’s most storied rivalry series is about to be suspended.
Despite months of negotiations, USC and Notre Dame officials have been unable to reach an agreement on a 97th game in next year’s series and are each currently searching for a replacement opponent in 2026, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports.
advertise
In fact, the Irish are finalizing a two-year deal with BYU to play against the Cougars in the 2026-27 season. Next year’s game will be held in Provo, Utah, in October, with a return game next season in South Bend, Indiana.
The temporary end to the USC-Notre Dame series was a shocking move, and something that has only happened once in nearly 80 years. Next year’s game will be the 79th in a row, excluding the 2020 season affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Production on the show began in 1926 and was only paused for three years during World War II and before the COVID-19 pandemic.
With great players, versatile coaches and a rich tradition, the Irish and Trojans have a unique pedigree in the history of the sport, winning a combined 24 national championships, 15 Heisman Trophies and producing more than 1,000 NFL draft picks – believed to be the largest total in all of college football.
However, scheduling complications and College Football Playoff implications were at the root of the series’ failure, according to people familiar with the negotiations.
advertise
The latest round of discussions among school administrators over the past two weeks ended in failure — a shocking about-face. In fact, the two programs are close to finalizing a two-year extension of their agreement in late November, with USC agreeing to host Notre Dame next season on the traditional date after Thanksgiving and the Irish in 2027.
However, USC officials feel the game date is less than ideal given the CFP selection committee’s past decisions to penalize schools for losses, especially those late in the season.
The latest discussion between Trojans athletic director Jen Cohen and ND athletic director Pete Bevacqua focused on a possible Game 0 game next year, although that didn’t happen. The two executives have agreed to restart the series as soon as 2030, sources familiar with the matter told Yahoo Sports.
Meanwhile, the Irish are expected to announce a new series with Big 12 member BYU soon — an interesting development considering what happened earlier this month. Notre Dame opted out of the bowl game after missing the College Football Playoff. The Irish will play BYU in the Tart Bowl.
advertise
The team’s decision to opt out, along with Bevacqua’s critical comments about the CFP selection, sparked a backlash from several administrators in college athletics, especially Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, who publicly denounced Bevacqua’s comments two weeks ago.
Notre Dame’s schedule and spot in the CFP has always been a source of consternation to those in college sports, as the school is still only one of two independent programs in the FBS (the other is UConn) and is guaranteed a spot in the CFP in future years if they finish in the top 12 in the rankings. The Irish play five ACC games per season under an agreement with the conference, have traditional games with Stanford (ACC) and Navy each year, and typically join USC in one or two other Big Ten programs.
advertise
The Irish don’t necessarily shy away from big games.
Notre Dame will open next season at Lambeau Field with Wisconsin and games against Purdue and Michigan State as part of the program’s Shamrock Series. The Irish recently reached a 10-year annual scheduling agreement with Clemson that ensures both programs will meet for the next 10 years (with or without an ACC agreement), and they have played Texas A&M the past two seasons.
