The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and USC Trojans will not meet on the gridiron during the regular season for the second time in 80 years.

The storied college football rivalry ran continuously from 1946 through 2025, pausing only for the COVID season in 2020.

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Unfortunately, the schools could not agree about how the series should continue. USC, now a member of the Big Ten, wanted the annual game moved to early in the season. Notre Dame rejected that, seeking a long-term deal to keep the schedule the same.

Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish announced a series with the BYU Cougars. The Trojans will close their season against the crosstown rival UCLA Bruins.

But according to a new report, USC and Notre Dame haven’t given up on finding a way to get their rivalry back on track. On Monday, May 11, Los Angeles Times reporter Ryan Kartje saying the schools have restarted negotiations.

“A person familiar with the discussions not authorized to talk about them publicly told The Times that Notre Dame is now willing to discuss playing the game earlier in the season, which had previously been a sticking point,” Kartje wrote. “Given future scheduling agreements, it’s possible that the two schools still won’t meet again on a football field until the 2030 season.”

Irish lead all-time series

The Notre Dame-USC series began in 1926. It paused for three years (1943-45) during World War II and in 2020. The Fighting Irish 51-37-5, including three vacated victories.

The a No. 1 vs. No. 3 matchup in 1947 and a No. 1 vs. No. 2 game in 1988, both won by the top-ranked Irish.

The final game in the series — for now — was a 34-24 Notre Dame victory on Oct. 18, 2025, at Notre Dame Stadium. Jeremiyah Love rushed for 230 yards and a touchdown to lead the 13th-ranked Irish over the 21st-ranked Trojans.